Vibrate
by wolfofsheep
Summary: To Toph Bei Fong, vibrations were her process, her power, and her range to see. It allowed her to witness the world like no other could. Everything had an energy and her feet were the connection to them all. AU fic. Tokka
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**

 _Hello all, this story is a lot of AU that is revolved around the fact that, though there are still benders, there is no Avatar. Aang and Katara are still together. Most of the original story is in here, but I just played around with them a bit. Lin and Su are not Toph's children, but are sisters and are a BIG part of Toph's life._

 _The story is about Toph and is in her point of view (well... point of feet. ^^;). This is a Tokka story, but mostly it's just a story to get out of my head. I hope you enjoy because it will be a few chapters. I will keep it as a T rating, but there is an M chapter among the T's._

 _I hope you enjoy and if you don't... That's cool... We can't please EVERYONE._

 _Annd... As always... I do not own these characters._

* * *

To vibrate is to move or cause to move continuously and rapidly to and fro. A slow humming that can quiver with quality and pure emotion. But, to Toph Bei Fong, vibrations were her process, her power, and her range to see. It allowed her to witness the world like no other could. Everything had an energy and her feet were the connection to them all. Every shadow had a pulse and every pulse had a language. She learned that this language was based on emotion and everyone of them had an insight to the very psyche of a living being. The badgermoles were easy to read... but people... they were a bit more complicated. But, as she got older and wiser... she learned that people were nothing but a waste of time.

Toph shook her head as the roll of the deafening pool of vibrations sang from the crowd bustling around the city. The absence of her sight made it sickeningly impossible to sit and listen to it all without making a yuck face. She was clear into her thirties and it hadn't been such a great ride for the blind woman. Life had done to her what it had done to so many... it hardened her. The monotone static was so strong, she could almost taste the putrid stupidity that poured out of the boring people around her. They drolled on and on about relationships, TV shows, and the latest gossip about other people they knew. It was such a waste of hearing, yet she was out here every day listening to it... quietly yearning to have someone to talk about these idiots with. A person to hold on to and laugh instead of pretending to be "seeing" with her stick. Someone to joke around with, to pick on, to pull her close and brush the hair out of her useless eyes... With an irritated snort, she leaped from the thick seat of the wooden bench she always sat at after teaching her first class and planted her butt on the backstop and rest her feet on the seating area just to stop all the pulsing echoes from tingling her feet. She let the unusually cooled, summer breeze tickle her face as she listened to the scratching of the people's feet against the concrete and waited for the town's clock jingle of 3 to get ready for the next earth bending class.

She gripped the cooled, onyx stoned handle of her metallic walking cane and began tapping the tip against the wooden seat of the bench to try and lull her sensitive feet back into a calmed rhythm. She learned that if she sat on top of the table and opened her sitting stance so that her feet took up most of the seating area; it would serve two points... one, nobody would sit with her and two... she didn't have the clutter of vibrations distracting her from listening and got a chance of calming herself. Teaching earth and metal bending to dunderheads all day long was not only stressful, but also... kinda fun. She got to yell and demolish even the smallest egotistical dickhead AND got paid to do so. She'd always been this way ever since her family 'disowned' her. She didn't need friends... she didn't need a posse... she didn't need a close girlfriend or a slobbering boyfriend. She just needed her sole-less shoes, ridiculously sharp wit, and the best school in all of the four nations, that was IT. She was the most sought out teacher for metal bending and the best teacher for newly discovered earth benders. People knew her name, but... didn't know just how much of a hard ass she was. She smiled as she picked her nose openly, she couldn't think of a reason why anybody wouldn't want her as a teacher or friend. She was fabulous.

She came from a short lineage of wealthy people in one of the biggest cities in the south, Gaoling. Her mother and father had no other children considering that their first one scarred them for life. A blind girl, healthy otherwise, with eyes the color of a pale green moon, well, that's what her mother told her, anyways. She had no idea what colors were. Hell... she didn't even know what SHE looked like. Her parents treated her like an injured animal. She was lucky if she even got to touch the ground when she was little. But when she FINALLY got to touch it, she learned that she could move it. Earthbending became her salvation. She knows it sounds overly cheesy to her, too, but it was true. It saved her life. Nooo... No; it BECAME her life. It was one day when she slipped and tried catching herself while playing by herself that she learned that she could "see" things. The very vibration became the eyes that Mother Earth took away from her. It, also, became the second biggest secret she kept from her parents being that the number one got her discarded as a daughter.

Toph sighed as she reached into the back pocket of her loose, green cargo shorts to scratch on one of her butt cheeks then her body jolted a little at the sudden silky deep voice that spoke, "Is the rest of this bench available or do I have to make a reservation in advance?"

In the three years that she had been living in Republic City, she'd been sitting at the same bench outside her studio, Yu Dao Earth and Metal Bending Academy that she paid for with her hard earned cash, and no one had ever asked to sit with her. Not ONCE. So, though she gave a small frown at the chuckles of what she assumed were friends of his, she just glanced in the general direction of the voice with a menacing grin, "Sorry pal... seats taken."

The voice that spoke back to her wasn't irritated, to HER irritation, but seemed to have a smile behind it as he gave a small chuckle, "Who are you saving it for, your seeing eye dog?"

That broke the smile off her face but didn't dent her sarcastic mind from coming up with a snapper of a comeback, "Actually, I was saving it for your girlfriend. She got tired of your small dick and wanted to actually FEEL something for a change. I told her my dick was WAY bigger than yours and she hasn't left me alone since."

She heard a cluster of 'Ooo's' and laughter from people all around and she gave a cocky grin as she put her chin on top of her walking stick handle in her hand; making a goofy face to drill her insult deeper. It must have struck a nerve, because the next time the man spoke, she was thrilled to hear that she knocked his damn smile off his face and got even more of a thrill when the man tried to be forceful with his voice, "Just move your damn feet, bitch. You ain't the only one trying to sit down." She felt his fingers wrap around her arm. She tolerated verbal assault... matter of fact, she swam in it, but she LOVED when someone wanted to get physical... that meant she didn't have to hold back.

She smiled ever so sweetly as she was yanked from the bench. The moment her feet hit the concrete; the ground popped up under the man's feet and launched him at an incredible angle and even better speed towards the alley between her studio and the abandoned building where the dumpster was kept. The beautiful sound of man and garbage splashing together rang out loudly. She kept her smile on her face as she jerked her hand into the air and the brick of the building that the dumpster was pushed against jutted out to strike the plastic door of the dumpster, closing it with a loud crash of plastic against metal and the gross-out cries of the man within it.

She turned her head slightly as she heard the three bells of the old clock over the whistles and applause she got from her encounter. She gave a dramatic bow before turning and heading into her studio, readying herself for her 3 o'clock metal bending class.

* * *

Toph held her classes in the basement of the two story building that had purchased with the money she got from some very wealthy patrons who wanted to learn a new style of bending. She held all her classes in the basement because it had a solid foundation of earth and was incredibly larger than the other two rooms above. She named it Yu Dao and had the Kanji painted eloquently across a wooden sign just above the entrance. Though the first and second floors were a minimum of 500 square foot each, the basement extended far beyond the two building to either side of the studio. She measured her steps and got around 92 steps from one wall to the other the long way and about 53 steps the short way. Despite the room she had, the classes were not overly full, but she had multiple classes and they were always booked. She always kept an even number of people so that someone always had a partner. 20 to 24 was usally the most she had in each class.

Needless to say, Toph lived in the studio. The first floor was the 'welcome' area and the top floor was where she kept her stuff, but, for the most part, she slept in the basement. She tried sleeping up on the top floor, but she felt disconnected and unsafe. The wooden floors were like earplugs for her feet. With sleeping in the basement, the earthen cocoon allowed her to 'see' everyone that walked on the streets above. It wasn't that she liked the sound of people walking... she just liked knowing if someone was trying to break in. She'd NEVER pass up a chance to embrass some idiot.

The class at 3 was just as boring just as the other classes were, but she loved doing it. She didn't know why she was so eager to teach, but she felt that... in another life... her teachings saved the world. Wishful thinking on her part. As she bowed to her class of young adults, she flattened the earth back to perfection and made sure they got back up to the first floor. Lin and Su were up there getting ready for her 4 and 5 classes. The two young girls were her receptionists and they were diligent when it came to money and courtesy, seperately. They were sisters and Lin was all business while Su was all pleasure. They were her best students. Two of the best metal benders she'd ever gotten to teach. They trained with her after the last class at 8 and never disappointed her. They were two leaves from a different trees, but their fighting technique was pin point perfection. They flowed together like a wave of silver and Toph thanked the spirits that they didn't have another sister or she may have been beaten, but Toph always came out on top.

Together, the two sisters kept her business flourishing. They were almost like her own children... if she could have any. She treated them better than anyone she ever knew. She dare say that she loved them. They were sweet girls and they had a hunger of wanting to be better and stronger and that's what drew Toph to them both. As she walked up to the first floor, she smiled as she heard the two girls arguing about something. They were always butting heads, but by the end of the day, they'd leave laughing and almost arm to arm, but this fight sounded serious. When she got all the way up, the two went silent... always an indication that they didn't want her to hear it, so she groaned, "Alright... spit it out."

Su's voice was a higher pitched noise that was nearly intolerable, but the small volume of it kept in the 'ok' area, "Sifu, Lin wants to join the Metallic Armed Squad."

Toph's sightless eyes shot wide in surprise. Not that she didn't think Lin wouldn't be good at it and not that she hadn't trained the entire force, but it was the fear she heard in the younger girl that made her surprised. In this day and age, bending was just like another fad that people just scoffed at. It wasn't a big thing... actually, it was just another thing to brought fear and hate into the world. Not all, but some, non-benders had protested and united to try and get the 'benders' registered so they weren't going around harrassing their abilities. It didn't work, but, at the time, she understood their fear so she didn't get as angry as some of the benders. She had witnessed countless benders using fire, earth, and water to break into businesses and take all they had then burn the building to the ground. If it wasn't for the cops that she trained in metal bending, it would've been an all out bender/non-bender war. This group of cops were now known as the Metallic Armed Squad. Toph had an honorable mention in that crap and though she hated the lime-light... her classes were booked solid since then.

She had nothing against this squad, but Su's problem was that Lin was only 16 years old and her only sister. Toph sighed, "Lin... why do you want to join them?"

Lin's voice was the deeper, more somber of the two, but she could hear the strength that the girl had in it, as well, "Sifu! This is what I have always wanted to do. I want to use my bending to make the world better... safer... there is no other path I can see myself taking. Su just can't see it."

Su's voice cut in, "OF COURSE I CAN'T, LIN. I don't want you to get hurt. I don't want you to DIE for people who don't care if you live or not. You're my sister. You're my ONLY sister. I don't want to lose you."

Toph heard her voice tremble and she stepped forward making the two girls shift towards her. She smiled at the two, not knowing if they were even looking her way due to the wooden floor, "Listen to me. Su... your sister is a warrior. Warriors do not ask for permission to fight. They just do it. But not because they love the battle, but because they have someone to protect. I support Lin in her decision, but that doesn't mean I don't support yours, as well. If your parents agree to this, Lin... I will be more than happy to give you a recommendation and be one of your references."

She heard Su's defeated sigh then heard Lin's calm voice, "Thank you, Sifu."

Toph gave a sad smile and did something out of character, she brought the two girls into a hug, "Su... your sister will be fine. She has the best damn teacher in the world and no piece of garbage Triad can match skills with her. But... If you ever need me... you know I'll be there with bells on..." she paused for a bit and added, "... for both of you." The sisters finished the hug and broke away with a bow. She smiled because she never sees the bow, she only hears it and she waves to them, "See you two, tomorrow."

* * *

The building was annoyingly quiet when everyone left. She'd put on her 'sleeping clothes' that consisted of a black sports bra, a very loose green tank top, and very baggy, black basketball shorts with green stripes down the sides. Comfort was always a must for her and fashion really didn't matter when you couldn't see. Luckily, the sisters helped her pick out clothes that at least matched. Green and black, the two said, were their go-tos because they looked good on her. She just picked her nose and just told them to ring'em up. She shook the thought out of her head as she sat in the middle of the basement floor. She gave a tired sigh and just tapped her bare feet in boredom. A few more beats and her patience snapped. She slapped a barefoot on the ground and the earth shot her to her feet. She stomped to the stairs that led to the first floor where she walked right past her walking stick that leaned in the corner beside the door. She didn't feel the need to have it since she just intended to sit. When she stepped outside the door, she took a big inhale and tested the intensity of the heat from the sun. It was dull so that must mean that the sun was almost down.

She walked a few feet away to her bench and could feel a very small amount of people walking on the sidewalk. Her bending told her that no one was on her bench so she hopped off the catapulting earth and landed on top of the seat and she planted her butt on the backrest. Everything went dark but the feel of the wind against her bangs made her smile. She heard a scuffle of feet just in front of her and the smell of a freezer and salt hit her nose. Her brows touched from confusion until a voice spoke as the sound of metal jingling filled the air, "Are you Toph Bei Fong?"

Toph leaped off the bench and her feet slammed into the ground and attempted to launch the man before her. To her shock, she felt the man gracefully dodge her attack as his feet left the earth completely. The voice sounded behind her in a more defensive tone, obviously he had jumped his way to the bench, "WAIT... PLEASE! I didn't mean anything by it... I-uh-I just wanted to know if you were her." Toph's eyes squinted in irritation and she turned towards the bench as the sniveling man continued but not before having to avoid whips of stone and metal, "My name is Sokka and I'm from the Southern Water tribe. I... I... uhhh... I've been going around training with the best benders and I was wondering if I could train with you for a while?"

Toph ceased her attacks and relaxed her form, "I think I didn't hear you right. You said you were from the 'WATER' tribe... I'm an earth bender, sweetie."

She felt the man's hesitant feet try the ground as if it were quick sand before he stepped off the bench and explained, "Oh... No... No... I'm not a bender. I just train WITH benders. I find that most of the really exceptional techniques are done by benders and I want to learn all of them. I've trained with the Fire Lord and his uncle, my sister, who is a water bender, and her boyfriend, who is an air bender, and frankly... I'm tired of them getting me soaked."

Toph sniffed as she got her answer about the fancy foot work a moment ago. She wasn't going to admit that it seemed to have paid off so she sighed, "I only train BENDERS. This is not a dojo, dude. Go find some other earth bender that doesn't have any self respect."

She moved to go past the bench and the annoying man, but his voice shocked her into place, "BUT IT HAS TO BE YOU. You're the best damn earth AND metal bender that the world has ever seen. YOU are completely blind, learned how to earth bend by badermoles, and figured out how to use your bending to see. YOU single-handedly created to art of metal bending and even made a whole task force that has kept this city safe from all kinds of elemental attacks. YOU have dedicated your life into teaching people the proper way of earth bending and put this city on the map. PLEASE... Please... let me train under you."

She hated groveling, but she LOVED flattery. She folded her arms over her chest and tapped her foot on the ground to let the vibrations get a good look at him. He was pronounced. His legs were strong, his shoulders were wide, and there was a strange metallic weapon on his side; a sword made of some crazy earth, metal, and gem stone mixed. She gave a sigh, "Do you have any money for my training?"

The man's voice went an octave that she could already read as a NO, "I... don't have any money, BUT... I can offer my services to you. I could clean, cook, laundry, hunt..."

Toph groaned, "Sorry pal..."

Sokka stepped in front of her, "Please... I'll sleep out in the alley. I'll... I'll be your seeing eye guy. I'll do anything. Let me train with you... pllleeeeaaaaassssseeee."

Toph cracked her neck in irritation because she finally met someone who was gonna be a lot of trouble for her, "OK OK... FINE. I'll train you." She heard his celebration and felt him leap off the ground and she gave a very unnerving grin, "... but you're gonna regret it." She felt a satisfying thrill at the sound of the man's gulp.

* * *

Toph was getting a bit irritated at the man's Ooo's and Aaah's of the studio. She didn't realize how strongly the man's scent was until they entered a closed room that didn't have the breeze to blow it away from her nose. He smelled like something that has been in the freezer for a long time and water from the ocean, but he had a tang about him, too. A man's smell, she would say. He needed a bath, and coming from her... that was saying something. He was kind and courteous; never overstepping his boundaries, but his nonstop yammering about how much of an honor it was made him sound like a complete ignoramus. She told him he could sleep upstairs in the bed and that started something she didn't intend to start... his 'gentleman' crap.

"By La and Tui... I... I couldn't possibly take the bed... I'll be glad to sleep in the lobby or even in the bathtub, but never in a lady's bed."

She waited until the big lug came up for air before she cut in, "You done, Lancelot? Oh Spirits, you got a set of lungs... First off, I am NO lady. I'm more of a bitch than anything. Second, I sleep down in basement on the cold, hard, earth. Thirdly, please stop trying to be the 'Good Guy'... it annoys me to the point where I want to bury you very very VVEERRYY deep. You're sleeping upstairs. You're taking a shower. In the morning, you are training. When I have classes, you are not here. Understood?"

She waited for his answer, oddly knowing that the idiot before her was nodding enthusiastically. She gave a groan and waved her hands towards the staircase, "GO. SHOWER. NOW. And don't mess with my stuff."

She heard a motion like he was bending over and then he moved to the stairs... she could tell by the sound of him moving away. As the creaking of the stairs ascended; she descended to the basement. She had plenty to think about. This... "man" could rob her blind. She cringed at her double meaning. Why did she accept a nonbender into her studio? She'd never done something so reckless. Her own mind scrutinized her. It's because it was a boy. If it were a girl, she would've just sent her packing. GODS... she wasn't THAT thick or eager. Sex wasn't that big of a deal to her, yet the man had stroked her ego just right and the curiosity of why he wanted to train so hard was also a big part. He was from the water tribe. What in the world made this guy need to fight? There wasn't any kind of war she knew about. She understood why he choose her, though, but what could be such a threat that he needed to train with benders? She got to the earth of the basement and fell back, doing an earth angel in the ground. When she stopped, she stared straight up with her useless eyes. He was gorgeous... his vibrated silhouette was, anyways. She gave a smile as she slowly drifted to sleep.

* * *

Toph was jolted awake by the sounds of screams and things being thrown... upstairs. She launched herself off the earth and bolted upstairs. The last step was when she heard Lin and Su yelling and shooting out shards of metal. Then she laughed a little as she heard Sokka trying to explain while dodging every single attack. She wished she could see the battle with her ineffective eyes. She couldn't believe that the man was still alive. She gave a grin before putting her fingers to her lips to give out a whistle. She heard the metal retract and the sound of a relieved sigh. She stepped up out of the staircase doorway and Su started in on her before her sister could speak, "Sifu... this MAN was coming down the stairs when me and Lin got here."

She held up her hand and the girl paused, "I invited him here. Su. Lin. I'd like you to meet Sokka. He'll be training here for a while and will be helping out."

Lin's rattling voice cut in, "Sifu. You trust this man? WHO IS THIS GUY? You just let him into your home? How do you not know that he isn't some pervert thief." Toph nearly laughed when she heard the man's 'HEY' at the comment.

"I don't know anything about him except that he is a nonbender, but... he is offered his services to me for free and in return, he wants to train." She heard the two girls give out a 'WHAT' in two different tones and she confirmed, "Yes... he isn't a bender."

Lin cut in quickly and spoke as if the man wasn't standing right behind them, "What the hell is a nonbending scumbag doing wanting to train with a bender? He was probably sent here by the triads to kill you, SIFU. We don't know anything about him. He needs to go."

Toph put her arms behind her back and stared with her paled eyes in the direction she believed the man to be standing, "Well Mister Gentleman, you wanna defend yourself?"

She heard the ruffle of movement and knew the two girls had spun to look at the man. His voice was tensed, but softly serious, "I'm not some assassin or lecher. I have reasons for wanting to train... stupid reasons that make no sense to anyone but me. I have lived with a water bender my entire life... Katara, my sister. I've watched her struggle to try and learn how to control her new ability. I remember how pathetic she looked and how much she struggled to be in control and strong. It wasn't until she started to travel with her air bender boyfriend and train with a master that she started to become better... become stronger... to become in full control. I want that. Not the whole bending thing, but the better and stronger and in control part. Not just for me; for my tribe. I am the next in line to be Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. I am doing this so that I can be a better protector for my people; to be someone that everyone can depend on. I learned a lot of ways to defeat a bender, but... I find that violence isn't my strong suit. To learn to avoid conflict and solve problems swiftly and peacefully is better than any blow to the head. My father is a stubborn man, so... it may be a while before I become Chief, so I set out to train. I've done water, air, and fire... it was intense, but not as intense as remembering that this is also a metal bending studio." She heard his goofy laugh and heard Su give a snort.

Toph gave a smile. He said his reasons were stupid, but that sounded like a completely excellent reason to her. He was going to be a leader and he wanted to become the best one he could be. She stepped forward and spoke, "Well, Lin, is that a good enough reason for you?"

She could hear the scruff of her mumbling, "No. But, if you think it's worth your time."

"Su... how about you?"

The girl's higher pitched voice shot out, "It sounds like a reasonable explanation to me, Sifu."

"Alright then, Sokka, you go downstairs with Lin and get warmed up. I'm going to change and I'll be down in a few." She moved towards the stairs and stopped, "LIN!"

The rough voice answered, "Yes Sifu?"

She turned her head and gave a wide grin, "I want him alive when I get down there."

She heard the man gulp and Lin answered with a serious tone, "I make no promises, Sifu."

She headed upstairs and could hear Su giggling as Sokka whispered, "Seriously?"

* * *

She made it up to the top floor and was surprised at how clean the floor was. She was making hesitant steps for fear that he had crap spilled all over the floor. There was a faint aroma of soap, but the freezer and salt smell was still there. Why did she find that smell pleasant? She shook her head and headed towards the dresser she knew was seven steps to her right from the door. She pulled out a shirt from the first long drawer that was underneath the separated two on the top. She pulled out a shirt. The second long drawer contained her shorts and she pulled one out, too. Fashion was not her thing and she owned nothing but shirts and shorts. It never got too cold in this city to worry about pants and she didn't care what she looked like so no use for dresses or makeup. She had one pair of shoes and they had no sole, just the illusion that she was wearing shoes for the visually aware. Other than that, she never wore shoes unless she needed to go shopping for food.

Something tickled her vibrations. She was on wood, but now and then she had vibrations possibly from the nails within them. They drew her to an object that was leaning against the corner of the room beside the bathroom door. She reached out and touched a sword. She brought it closer to her and unsheathed it. Her hand touched the blade and she let out a pleasured gasp. Metal and earth and gems rang out in her touch. What was this? She'd never felt anything like it. She wanted to know even more about him, now. Oh Spirits... what was happening? She had never been intrigued by a man before. It was disturbing. She got her clothes on and readied herself to train. She was going to test his limits for the first time. To see if he could take it. If he survived Lin and Her... she'd take his training seriously.

* * *

When her foot it the earth of the basement, the excited noises became a pulse of movement. Lin was using the scraps of metal around the room AND earth to hurl at the man. She finally got to feel the man in motion and study his movements. He was patient. He waited for her to make a move and he would counter it with footwork or with the two object in his hands, "Su... what does he have in his hands?"

The little girl standing beside the bottom of the stairs spoke, "A bone club made from a walrus-shark and a boomerang from a penguin-whale's rib. He said that a walrus-shark's bones were so strong that the only thing that could shatter it was another walrus-shark and the penguin-whale's rib bone was hollow enough to fly far but dense enough to stun anything if it hits."

Weapons that could not be bended. This guy was becoming more and more interesting the more she knew him. She felt the man's silhouetted arm jerk before he sprinted at Lin. He dodged the metal and stone being tossed at him while maneuvering around the ground being jutted at his feet. He swung his club and made her dodge to her left. She knew he wanted her to do that because he spun around and waited. Sure enough, Lin's 'Oof' and her stuttering steps proved that he got her into the line of fire from the boomerang. He launched forward and did a series of precise punches and Lin fell to her knees. The girl recovered and she felt her doing a few moves, but she felt something was wrong. Toph took two steps as she heard Lin's horrified gasps and the girl cried out, "WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BENDING?!"

She could feel Su's and Lin's terror, but could feel the calmness of Sokka as he went to pick up his boomerang and put away his club before he sang out, "It's ok... You're alright. It'll return in a few moments. I just did a minor chi block that I learned from a circus performer. She was a nut-ball, but she was very smart when it came to the body. Sorry if I scared you." She felt him move to help Lin up and then bow to her.

Su's voice was low and was just meant for her to hear, "Sifu... this guy? He's like a super hero."

That got a smile out of her. She was wondering the same thing, "Alright Captain Boomerang... my turn."

She felt Lin move to the stairs behind her as the man got into a loose, but ready stance. She had it in her head not to let the man close to her. That chi blocking crap was not something she wanted happening to her, "You better not hold out on me because I'm blind... or you're going to regret it."

He retorted with what sounded like a smile on his face, "I won't hold back if you don't."

She snarled a smile that would send moose-lions running for the hills, "You got it, Sweetheart." She did a series of stomped and twitches of her hands and the earth shot spikes up towards him. He avoided it with a side flip as he simultaneously pulled his club out and smashed the rocks out of the air and shattered the next earth spike jutting at him. His feet landed and she felt him charge. She stopped him with a long strip of metal that expanded into a long sheet and wrapped it around him like a snake. She tightened it but he used his club as a wedge and slipped out, cutting the bottom of his feet as he jumped off the edge of it. She heard the girls gasp behind her as the man was in mid air then finally rolled and landed on his sliced feet. It didn't seem to bother him as he charged again, but this time, he had another weapon in hand. She grinned and charged forward herself. The long, flat strip of metal snapped and formed around her like armor as the two met hand to hand. The metal protected her from the man's little chi blocking, but he didn't seem to be trying to use it.

She shot out metal and rock as he dodged it and used his weapons to redirect them. Walls of earth protected her from the club and the metal protected her from the sharpened edges of the boomerang. She'd push him off with the earth walls, but he dodged them and came back stronger. She did a pinwheel move and wall after wall of earth moved at him at dangerous speeds. He did flips and twists in the air and on the ground and avoided them all but she missed the jerking of his arm as she finally landed her feet on the ground. A sharp pain hit on the right side of her head that shocked her and caused her 'sight' to fuzz and the metal around her to fall with a loud noise and roll off to the side. She felt a tinge of panic and slammed her foot into the ground to make an earth tent around her. That damn boomerang... it hurt. Finally, her 'sight' came back and rolled out of the tent just as he slammed his club into wall, destroying it. She had an opening and she wasn't going to let it pass. She sent two blunt spikes of earth and they struck the man's ribs and hip on the side and sent him rolling in the dirt. He finally stopped and tried to get up in a 'push-up' stance where Toph slid her foot and his arms and legs slipped into the ground and cementing him there. He gave a groan of defeat then a chuckle before he spoke, "You got me."

The side of her head was still throbbing and thought about burying him right there, but... she tapped her foot and released him. She felt him roll on his back and try to catch his breath as he brought his feet to his line of vision. He was picking at them as he called out, "Sorry about your head, Sifu."

She stopped at the staircase and let out a smile, "Sorry about your feet, Captain Boomerang."

He snorted and said with humor in his voice, "No you're not."

She turned and gave a sarcastic smirk before she slammed a foot onto the ground and everything 'reset'. She waved her arms around and the metal she used as armor formed into a ball and she moved it to the side, "Lin... get upstairs and wait for the earth bender class. I'll talk you through today's regime. Su... get the first aid kit and see to this bum's feet. Sokka... after you are patched up; see yourself out. I don't want you hanging around and worrying my students."

Lin went up the stairs and she headed that direction, but not before hearing the smile on his face, "You got it, Chief."

She gave a very faint smile at the nickname and climbed the rest of the stairs.

* * *

The next day of training with Sokka was a 'basic' class. She treated him like she treated the young kids learning to earth bend for the first time. She worked on his 'stance', his 'balance', and his 'attitude'. She heard him chuckle at the last one and she drove him into the ground for it, "You see, my little baby boomerang, earth benders aren't flaky, humorous, chuckling clowns. Both our spirits and bodies are tough, resolved, and..." for this, but took a hold of his "wolf tail" ponytail and yanked him up while snarling out, "... quiescent." She heard him gulp as she tossed his freed body to the side by his hair.

She made sure she had her metallic-stone walking stick so she could pop him when his form wasn't to her liking. It wasn't really for HIS benefit more than it was for hers. She placed more and more rocks on his back as he tried to remain in the 'Command Position' with his legs shoulder width apart, his knees slightly bent, and his feet pointing forward. She had to admit one thing about this man... he was no quitter. He took everything she threw at him and he used it to better his situation. She could feel him trembling but he'd just adjust his stance just a bit and control his breathing. If what he said about being the next Chief of his tribe was true... we was going to be an amazing one. His strength and patience were far beyond her own, but... from what she has observed and what the two sisters have told her... he was also very kind.

She shook her head out of the clouds and gave a grunt for him to un-shoulder the rocks. He let them tumble off his back with a relieved sigh and she popped him on the ass for it. He yelped and went back into the stance and she smiled.

* * *

A solid week went by and the Water Tribe man had gained the perfect stance. The trembling was still present, but his stance stood strong. Besides training, the man had become quite helpful. He went shopping with Su not only for restocking of the studio, but for food and other accessories as well. He showed the girls how to properly sew. He told them that this technique also worked for deep wounds. She noticed that the two sisters were beginning to take a liking to the man and were becoming quite close. She was happy that the three were getting along, but she had a nagging feeling that wouldn't stop bugging her. Was she... jealous? She made a disgruntled noise that she realized she made out loud far too late. She felt the three of them staring in her direction and she announced that she was going upstairs to take a shower. This seemed to have triggered the man into announcing that he was going to make a stew.

He had bought some cooking materials like a portable stove. He bought some pots and pans and lots of utensils, as well. Toph really didn't need all that since she just ate her bowl of noodles that she'd come accustomed to making, but... stew really sounded delicious. She could hear him and the sisters moving around before he started explaining to the girls that the best part of a stew was the meat.

As she entered the room, she began to disrobe until she felt the cold chill of being completely naked. When she got into the small bathroom, she found herself blushing. The room smelled exactly like that Meathead downstairs, but something was different. It was still the frozen and ocean smell, but... it had an earthen smell. That thought caused an indescribable jolt in her abdomen. Their scents were beginning to mesh. She stepped into the chilled tub and she could see again, but only in the confines of the porcelain material. She turned the water on and tested it in the back of the tub before it got perfectly warm. She walked into its delicious warmth and could feel the sweat and dirt flow off her. Her thoughts rolled back to the man and she determined that this man had been here too long. He was becoming a part of her life. She groaned very loudly and banged her head against the shower wall underneath the shower head. She closed her eyes tightly as the water rushed against the back of her head and down her spine. "Oh Spirits..." she moaned as the worst thing could happen to her... she was starting to like him.

* * *

Weeks flew by and turned into months and his stance finally became completely perfect. There was no trembling in his legs even when she added bigger boulders to his load. As she listened to him keep his breathing controlled and steady like she taught him, she let out a sigh through her nose, "Alright Sokka, I think you're ready for the next step of your training." She flicked her wrist and the rocks on his back flung off and evaporated into the ground like rain drops. He heard his groan from the loss of weight and he moved to assume the position before her. She smiled. He was taking the training seriously. Being stoic like a real earth bender, "This is usually where I start to get my students to bend the earth underneath them and then start to do the 'head on' approach. So, Sokka, we'll start the 'head on' approach." She gave a curt smile but Su's voice cut in dramatically, "SIFU... you'll kill him."

Toph turned her head towards the child's voice, "Su! You and Lin need to be getting ready for the day."

Sokka's voice was soft when he spoke like he was talking to his own daughter and a pang hit her in the stomach, "It's ok, Su. I trust Sifu and her methods. I'll be alright."

She heard Su sigh sadly and ascended the stairs in a very clumsy manner. Toph turned her attentions back to the man in front of her, "Well aren't you a smooth little Boomerang Guy... getting the ladies to fall head over heels for you." She heard his signature gulp as she raised a huge mass of earth that hovered beside her, "This part of the training is simple... take a hit. Earth benders aren't the floaty, twinkle-toed air heads you trained with before... they are solid and unmovable and fearless. Sometimes you have to take a hit to get the advantage. If push comes to shove... then let them do all the pushing and shoving they can get because when they tire themselves out, you win. Understand?"

His form didn't move, but his voice was clear, "Yes Sifu."

"You keep your stance firmly on the ground and you tense yourself up for the hits."

"Understood, Sifu."

She sniffed and abruptly got into her defensive stance. Her foot slammed into the ground as her arms strongly thrust to her side and fluidly, the mass of earth crumbled into bullet sized stones and circled above her. She inhaled and could feel the contour of the earth even above and grunted sending one stone at a time towards him at a hardened pace. The first stuck him and he grunted, painfully through his teeth, but he never broke his stance.

The more she tossed at him, the more he cried out. He tried to keep it quiet, but she kept hitting in the same spot. After number 20, he finally broke his stance and she felt him fall to a knee in defeat. Her outside probably seemed cold and uncaring, but she see how much he was trembling out of pain. A sudden stampede of four feet darted from the stairs to the fallen man, but they froze as he pushed himself up and weakenedly got back in his stance. She gave out a sigh at this man's determination. The sound of Lin's voice cut through with concern dripping from it that shocked her very much, "Sifu... please... enough."

"I can take it. I regained my resolve. One more round, Chief." His voice wavered and tried to gain strength but she could feel his trembling.

"You have proven yourself. We'll end this lesson right here." She let the rocks fall to the ground and soon felt a thud against her feet. The boy had fallen backwards and the two girls rushed to his side. Her heart dropped to her feet and despite herself, she rushed towards him. She got to them and heard Su giggle and Lin groan. She heard a low snore and gave a grunted growl before stomping on the ground and launching the snoozing man up in the air. His cry out and grunt when he landed and rolled to his feet was enough to even make her smile as the two girls giggled, "We'll be doing some metal bending tomorrow. That means you get to use your fancy space sword, Snoozles."

She heard him exclaim excitedly as she felt him leap off the ground and shook her head when she heard him immediately regret his actions as he hissed and cried out in pain. She took in a deep breath into her nose and sighed, "Lin. Su. Please get everything ready for the first class and do a little sparing... Snoozles, go fill the tub up with cold water and I'll meet you up there."

He stuttered, "Wh-what? You... wait... are we taking a bath... together?"

Everyone froze and she could tell they were staring at her. She rolled her useless eyes and explained, "Yes. This moment, right here, has made me want to just rip our clothes off and jump into ice cold water. Look... I have a few salts and oils that'll help with those bruises. Just... go get the bath ready. Cold water. Go!"

Before she got to the stairs, to two sisters had the earth flattened and were starting to spar. She heard the metal clink and clang before she got to the first floor. When she got to the next staircase, she could hear the water flowing and Sokka's hints of pain with hisses. When she got to the room she took one step and tripped over something discarded on the floor. She was in mid panic and shot her arm out to try and stop her fall. The palm of her hand slapped and pressed against something warm and smooth but strong. She felt a strumming under her palm and then noticed two gripping pressures on her hips and everything connected. She broke away and knew her face was red and embarrassed, "I'm... sorry. Thanks."

"No problem. It was my fault... I tossed it over there without thinking." His voice was so soft that it made her chest tighten. To try and ignore the tingling of her hand where she was sure she touched his bare chest, she swallowed and moved to the bathroom door then to the mirror above the sink and opened it like a door. She felt her way up to the second shelf and took the wide, fat bottle with ripples in the glass then one more shelf up to take the rectangular, cubic glass then closed the mirror and took the two bottles to the edge of the tub. She felt his presence at the opening of the doorway and she took the first bottle and unscrewed the top to put a long, stream of oil from one end to the other. She screwed the top back and took the next. She opened it and shook from one end to the other. The helichrysum oil mixed with the lavender salts made it smell like a honeysuckle nightmare, but she knew from experience that this would help him heal faster.

She felt him right beside her and she swallowed deeply, "You get in and stay for 15 minutes. Keep using them until the bruises are all gone. You know where they are now." She showed the bottles to him, then put them on edge of the tub. Though the smell of the oils and salts were strong, when he thanked her, all she could smell was him. The frozen salt smell whirled around her nose. She was losing herself in euphoria, but slipping into darkness in remembering that she was useless as a woman. She regained herself by thrusting her fist out and hitting him in the arm. She cringed to herself as she moved out of the bathroom. Spirits! She almost went back to her depression days. And why is she still punching to show affection? She gave a low grunt of embarrassment all the way back down the stairs.

* * *

Her classes were as boring as they were predictable, but it was more money in her account and better trained benders in the world... she was happy. Sokka had agreed to walk the girls home so that gave her time to relax with a little training. She snapped her fists to her side as the balls of her feet tapped the solid ground. Her hands opened and she pressed her fingers together as her feet made fluid motions but ended in stomps. Her hands jutted out as if she were stabbing a foe with her fingers. The scrap metal that laid around the room flowed like water around her as she did a dangerous dance around the studio. She widened her stance fully and waved her arms in strong motions and the earth rose from the ground. In a change of pace, her body moved swiftly as her feet moved heel to toe and sliding quickly with strikes to her imaginary opponent were with the palms of her hands. These motions caused the flowing metal to become deadly whips as they sliced at the large, floating boulder. It was a dance she did so many times. Her feet slammed into the earth, shooting out shards at the strength of it. Her arms shooting out with utter power as the metal slowly chiseled the rock into nothing but dust. In the final slide of her feet and jerk of her arms to her side, the metal finished the rock off and obeyed the command to revert back to their shapes and locations.

"Omashu... you are remarkable."

She jumped at the sound that came from behind her and she spun, feeling the sweat slipping down her neck fling into the nothingness around her, "How long have you been standing there?"

Sokka came into her view as he stepped down to the earth, "I think I got here in the middle. What technique was that? It was oddly beautiful, but threatening. Just like you." He laughed a little and came no further than his few steps from the stairs.

She fought off the blush from her cheeks and focused on his question, "It's just a series of motions... no technique. It's based off the foot work of the badgermoles that I learned earth bending from. The rest is just time and experience."

She heard her give a snort of a chuckle, "Amazing. You are absolutely AMAZING." The way he praised her gave her a thrill, but angered her as well. He threw out compliments like a ridiculously happy person saying Good Morning to people who hated being up. She wanted to bury him in the earth. The Toph she used to be reared its ugly head as it reminded her of the times she was picked on for being too masculine or ugly or when boys hit on her for a bet only to leave her heart more hardened and harder to crack. Her whole body jolted when Sokka's silky voice said her name, "Toph... I came down here to ask you if you wanted to get a drink with me. You know... to thank you for taking me in and beating the living shit out of me."

She let out a huff, letting the 'quick to run' Toph take over as she tried to stay cold and unmovable, "Sorry Snoozles... I don't drink."

She waited for him to shrug and move on, but he didn't make a motion, "You don't drink? Well... how about some food? I KNOW you eat."

What was he doing? Why was he still trying? Her eyes narrowed and she instinctively took a stance, "Let me try to make this a little more clear... I don't want to go anywhere with you."

His voice had a cynical tone to it as he hissed and said "Ouch", and she thought this foolishness was over, but he made a few more steps towards her and she felt her heart speed up and the walls around her heart thicken, "I've been here for over a month, maybe two, and I haven't had the chance to just sit down and... get to know you. Training with you is one thing, but hearing your stories, learning from your mistakes and victories, and just... getting closer. That's how I usually do things."

She felt him come closer and she dropped her eyes so her bangs covered them. Too many people exclaiming about her eyes stopped her from looking up. She clenched her fists and spoke harshly, as she always did, "I'm not interested in getting buddy-buddy with you. I gave you a place to stay and train. Be glad I did THAT much."

Finally, she felt the man step back but it struck her hard to hear the sadness in his voice, "I hoped we could be friends, but... I see this will be just a student/teacher affiliation. I thank you for the shelter and the lessons. Goodnight... Sifu."

She wanted to call out to him, but he bowed and bolted up the stairs. All she could do was stare where he once stood and try to catch her breath as tears bled down her cheeks.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**

 _So, chapter 2 is out and about. Just remember that this is an AU fic and that there is a lot of cussing because... I'm a dirty mouthed little chick. ^_^_

 _I hope you'll forgive me for all the errors. I have zero time to reread and I have no beta, so... this is straight out of my head._

 _Thank you to all those who are following and faving. It means a lot to me!_

 _Annnndddd... as always... I own not a single character._

* * *

CHAPTER 2

* * *

Toph laid on her belly upon the earth, her cheek pressed against it trying to cool it off. She felt like such an asshole. She groaned as her brain scolded her and replayed his voice in her head over and over again. She felt shitty because she WAS. He was just trying to be nice, but... she was stuck in her ways. A thirty something year old grump who was only ever been with a man and even HE left her. All because she was shitty. A shitty wife. A shitty lover. A shitty woman. She didn't let the memory pop in her mind about Kanto. She rolled onto her back and spread her arms out, letting her fingers touch the cooled clay. She was as cold and hardened as the earth and metal around her. She shut her eyes tightly as her brain scolded her again. Just because she was a cold-hearted asshole did not mean that she didn't feel. Sokka's voice replayed in her head and she shut her eyes tight actually thanking the spirits for taking her sight. If she could've seen his face, she would have probably have chased him.

Her fingertips felt the vibration of someone above her on the streets. She sat up, keeping contact and felt someone standing at the bench she always sat at. With her fingers firmly into the ground, she slammed the heel of her foot upon the flat surface to get a full view. Her heart sank as the silhoutte of Sokka pulsed from the point of his feet and up. He sat on the bench, his head pushed into one hand as the other clutched the outline of what she believed was a bottle. She shook her head. Why didn't he go to a bar and get laid or something? He just bought a bottle and came back... to drink on his own... alone. A tinge of pressure started to expand its heat inside her chest. She knew that feeling. She could've drank herself into a coma at one point. She couldn't let him do that to himself. She took in a deep breath and yelled inside her head, "Time to prove that I'm not such a heartless bitch."

She popped up with a little help from her bending then moved up the stairs. She moved to the door and stopped her hand at the handle at the sound of the man singing 'Fly Me to the Moon' in a very sad, but beautiful voice. She readied herself with popping her neck and deep breaths until she finally opened the door. He must have not heard the door while he was singing because he just continued his low tone. She closed it behind her very softly and felt him taking a swig of his drink. Every step she took gave her more and more detail about the man. His heart was just thudding in his chest as if he were medicated, his regular scent was musked with rum, and all his muscles were tensed. She stopped just behind him as he finished his song then leaned back, spreading his arms over the top of the backrest; the bottle in his hand ringing out a thud when it struck the wood, softly.

She moved around to his left then stood so he could see her. His eyes were closed as his head was tilted back, so she waited until he slowly sighed and bent his head back. She felt him suddenly jerk then stammer 'T-Toph' before clumsily trying to leap to his feet in respect. He stood straight and stared in her direction and swallowed, probably as baffled as she was. She bent her head down, as her weakened part of her normally did in social situations, to hide her eyes as she spoke, "Sokka... I'm... I'm sorry." She felt his tensed muscles relax and she blushed as she spoke again, "I'm about to spill my guts to you right now and I've never done that with ANYONE, so if you tell..."

"Sifu, you don't have to. I was being stupid..."

"I know you were, but... there was no reason for me lashing out at you. So... would you shut up and let me apologize." She felt him relax and heard him chuckle and that made her smile. She cleared her throat and sighed, "I-I'm sorry. I'm just not used to having anyone of my students giving a damn about me other than my lessons. But, it's men who I'm not really good with. I say really rude things to get them uninterested in me and... though it really is a lonely way of being... I like my solidarity." She gave a long pause before reaching out her right hand, "Well, you wanted to chat, so hand me that rum and lets shoot the shit."

He gave a hearty laugh and placed the bottle in her palm as she moved to sit on the bench. He followed suit but asked, "How did you know it was rum?" As he hopped up to where he was sitting on the backrest, she brought the tip of the bottle to her lips and paused, "I lied when I said that I didn't drink. I'm blind, ornery, single, and sleep on a rock floor... of COURSE I drink."

He laughed again as she took a big swig. It burned the whole way down just like she liked it. She licked the remaining taste from her lips and passed it in his general direction, "First off, how are your bruises doing?" He made a movement as if he were patting himself all around, "Can't feel a thing. Those oils and salts are some kind of magic. You sure you ain't some kind of Witch?" She smiled, "You have Lin and Su to thank for that. Their training led to lots of bruises both to and from them. They said their adopted mother was some sort of hippy and showed them the different medicinal effects of salts and oils. They gave some to me as a gift for a Sifu Appreciation Day thing."

His voice was low but full of wonder, "Wow. So, those two girls are just as amazing as they are mysterious. You know, Lin said that she wanted to be just like you. She wanted to do something that would make you proud so she got the ok from her parents to enroll in that metal bending cop thing next year. Her sister isn't too thrilled, but she supports her."

Her surprise at how much he knew about the girls got her off track, so after a long pause, she asked, "So... what do you want to know about me?"

She couldn't 'see' him since he was up on the bench, but she heard him make a low whistle as he blew into the lips of the bottle then his low voice cut in, "Everything I know about you is from word of mouth. You never did any kind of interviews or public speeches about your accomplishments. Why?"

She leaned back on the bench and brought her feet to her chest and swallowed, "I love recognition. I love when people get fired up about meeting me. I can feel their heartbeats and their tremblings... but, as a whole, I don't like crowds. I don't like people very much. No, I shouldn't say that. I love people... I just don't like their intentions. When people group together, they become stupid, heartless, and violent. I should know, I can feel them and hear them better than anyone." She wiggled her toes for reference, "So, you can imagine my opinion on public speaking."

She felt a cold spot on her bare arm and jumped a bit then took the bottle that was offered and she said, "Your turn. Why aren't you married?"

"Oh WOW. Straight to the heart." He laughed as she took a swig and he hummed a bit before speaking, "I-I just can't figure out what it is that I want from a woman. I mean... I LOVE what women have to offer, but... I don't just want sex. The very first woman I fell in love with was already betrothed. The guy was pretentious and only wanted her for her position. She was a Princess in the Northern Water Tribe and, by the spirits, she was so beautiful. Katara was studying with a master bender so I was put in charge of watching her. And... like the dumbass male teenager I was... I fell in love, but... then the village was attacked by some nasty Triads and... she died. She died right in my arms and all I could do was tell her that I loved her as I watched the life slip right out of her."

Toph's heart flew up to her throat and she couldn't breath. She felt like a complete dick for making him relive that. She passed the rum and gave a loud and heavy sigh, "Damn, Sokka, who could possibly compete with a woman who took your heart to the stars? I'm so sorry about that."

He took the bottle with a low hum and took a sip then coughed, "Yeah... Me too. Ok... what about you? Why aren't you happily married?"

She shook her head, "Did you just hear what I said about people?" She felt the darkness of her secret clawing its way up and she talked to try to keep it at bay, "I'll tell you why I hate marriage. It's gonna sound really cliche, but... my parents had every single second of my life planned from dusk til dawn until I turned 13 years old. So, I don't plan to be locked down like that, ever again."

"Wow... WHAT? Was it because you were blind?"

"Oh Spirits, yes... I had to sneak away into a cavern at night just to learn earth bending from the badgermoles. I hated it. I wanted to be outside. I actually WANTED to meet people, but... my parents were so ashamed that their heir couldn't see that they practically locked me in the basement. When they tried to give my hand away to some scrawny prince in La La Land, I bolted. My father ACTUALLY sent bounty hunters after me... BOUNTY HUNTERS, Sokka. A few years after that... I learned how to metal bend. So, pluses and minuses." She didn't tell him that when she was brought back, that scrawny prince took her as his wife, anyways. And that was the beginning of her nightmare.

Sokka slipped the bottle to her with a light nudge and it ripped her out of the shadows again. She took it, taking a deep drink. He whistled, "We all have our stories and I've come to love hearing them in my old age." That caused her to cough as she laughed, "Old age? How old are you?"

He snickered, "I'm 36 years old."

"Oma shu, PALEEASE. I'm only three years younger than you, Snoozles." Toph laughed and shook her head. She passed him the bottle and asked the next question, "Have you been with any women since your first love?"

She could hear him taking a huge drink of the rum and he let out a loud and rough puff of air, "If you mean 'dated', then one... if you mean 'sexually', three. I tried dating a warrior from Kyoshi island, but she couldn't stay with me because of her duties as a Head Defender and I couldn't stay because of training. We had a horrible break up after I tried to give her a betrothal necklace that I had just carved the night before. She yelled at me for being so inconsiderate and I yelled because of her yelling. We were young and just then becoming adults in a world that was more harsh than we could imagine. We just tore each other's souls apart, but the 'Good Bye' sex was amazing. The other two were a very flexible circus performer who had attachment issues but showed me chi-blocking and a very young metal bender who really loved shoes. She was the one who got me interested in training with you. She said you had a studio called Yu Dao and that you were the most remarkable teacher she ever had."

Toph kept her face straight but couldn't stop the blush. Her eyes went wide as she put two and two together... Shoes... Metal Bender... "You slept with PENGA? Jeez... Sokka... you are such a slut."

He let out a huge laugh, "I've only had sex with three women in my entire life... OK? So, how many men have YOU been with?"

He brushed the glass against her fingers that rested on the bench and she took it to the head and drank a larger amount then she meant to. She slammed the bottle down onto the wood and burped, "I've only had sex with one man... but multiple times... and he was bad enough the first time that it made all the other times almost pleasant. All together, I've had sex four times and had to finish myself off three of them."

"Whoa." Sokka said finally flopping his butt onto the seating area and letting his feet touch the ground. She released her legs and let her toes touch finally getting a look at the man, "Yeah, whoa... I love sex. I mean, I can't see anything, and that intensifies all the sensations, you know. You'd think that it would make pleasing me real easy, right Sokka? But this guy was all tongue in kissing... didn't cut his fingernails so it was like a gorilla-bear trying to finger me... OH, AND... he liked to slap my ass every two seconds thinking that it would turn me on but it just annoyed me out of my arousal. He was a piece of shit... but... he was the only one who saw me as a woman instead of a blind person." Her shoulder hit the back rest as she took a slower drink of the rum. She could feel her head getting fuzzy, now. She didn't tell him that they were trying for a baby. She didn't tell him that when he found out she couldn't have children that he bolted out of her life like she were a diseased piece of meat. She didn't tell him that her family disowned her after not being able to produce an heir. She didn't tell him that she cried herself into a bottle and nearly tried to kill herself. She took her free arm and flung it over her face as she bent her head back on the top of the back rest. Her eyes were stinging as she tried to stop herself from crying. She felt a warmth on her hand that held the bottle and it sent a shock wave up her arm. She jerked a little but calmed as Sokka's voice cut in, "Toph... you are the most amazing person I have ever met. No one sees you as some blind chick... you are champion. You are a teacher, a role model, and one hell of a woman."

She could 'see' his hand rested on hers and how the tempo of his heart stayed normal then increased a little bit. He was telling the truth, but there was something else. Her head felt funny and she needed to cut this off before it got too much more sappy. She withdrew her hand from the bottle and he took and drank the small amount that was left. There was an awkward pulse between them and before she could speak her way out of this web, he gave an exclamation and hopped up off the bench, "Well, Sifu... we should do this more often. I already feel like we're friends. Thank you. For doing this. An uncle of a friend of mine once said, 'We do not live forever, but our stories do... as long as there is someone who is willing to hear them'." He stepped and stood right in front of her and she could 'see' his arms extended out to help her up. She slammed her hands into his and he pulled her up. She was NOT expecting that he'd pull her into a hug and have the smell of that ice and salt, that she loved, slammed right into her nose.

She couldn't remember the last time anyone hugged her. She thought she was really good at avoiding them, but this man... he had a way of knocking down walls she forgot she had put up in the first place. She relaxed against his clothed chest and patted his hips since he had pinned her arms, "Sorry. I forgot to mention that I am also a hugger. It's the Water Tribe in me... we strive and yearn for physical contact, especially when it's cold." She swallowed and wiggled, trying to get out of hug, but he had her pinned to his chest so she squeaked out a, "But it ain't cold out here, Sokka." He loosened the hug, but didn't release her and a whisper flowed between them that made her heart leap, "... and when beautiful women are involved."

She looked up at him with her sightless eyes as her whole body tensed at the feeling of his heartbeat, his touch, and his heat seemed to remind her how close she was to him. She hid her embarrassment by rolling her eyes, "Jeez..." she said as she swatted the man's arms off of her. He gave a laugh and quickly grabbed the back of her head and pulled her towards him to give a very quick kiss to her forhead and a wave of euphoria shot down her spine as he spoke, "I know you think I'm just making fun of you... but you really are a beautiful woman. I just wish you could see that. I'll see you tomorrow, Sifu."

He rushed off and left her there blushing from his words AND actions until she finally smiled. She touched the ghost of the kiss and suddenly had thoughts of him writhing underneath her with his mouth hanging open and humming a moan? She wanted to taste his skin... feel his touch on her body and inside of her... His voice made her jump as she felt he was holding the door for her just behind her, but what he said made her laugh very hard as a heat climbed all over her face, "Are you coming?"

* * *

The next morning had her head throbbing. Had to be from the rum. She got herself up slowly so as not to poke the headache bearlion inside her brain and went upstairs to get some aspirin and glass of water. The sound of soft feet and a low yawn behind her told her that Snoozles was up, too. His soft, "Morning." hummed beside her as he grabbed a glass for his water. She shook the aspirin bottle and he took it, "Thanks."

As they took their medicine and washed their individual cups, the both spun around then leaned back on the sink. Both yawned and sat there for a while before she finally spoke, "I want you to watch one of my metal bending classes, today. It's a beginner coarse and it's what we will be doing for the next couple of weeks. Make sure you bring your sword."

His voice was cracking from having just yawned, "I thought you didn't want me around when your classes were on. Change of heart?" She almost slapped the smile he form at his last sentence, but instead, she just socked him in the arm. She grew pleasure from his hiss of pain and stated, "It's just my way of saying that we won't have practice this morning due to my hangover."

He gave a laugh, "I'll try to be as less creepy as I can and sharpen the ol' boomerang just in case my sword is bended."

She gave a look in his general direction, "Oh, no worries. You'll be standing with Su and Lin at the ready behind me. Everything they do. You do. Unless told otherwise. Got it?"

He spoke out softly, "Yes, Sifu."

* * *

The difference between the earth and metal bending classes were the intensity. To bend the metal is much like bending earth, but metal needed a different form. Toph compared it to water bending. The metal is solid, but it flowed much like water. She wasn't a water bender so she wasn't too sure if this was true, but she knew that the metal bending technique had more of a current than the wham-bam of earth bending. Her first metal bending class consisted of mostly women. For some reason, women had a better shot at the gift than men. She guessed it was how most earth bender men were stout and stern where the women were more 'flexible'. There were two men in her class, but she would more or less classify them as 'boys'. Ho Tun was the bigger of the two boys. He was a very nervous kid and ate when he was nervous so that made the 16 year old look like a decent sized sumo wrestler. The other boy was a year younger and a good ton smaller. He always wore black, no matter how hot, and when she learned his name, MooChee GooChee LaPooChee (the third), she decided to just call him the 'Dark One'.

She felt the two sisters and Sokka standing with their arms behind their backs as she greeted her students and they returned the favor. She first taught all her students that the only thing she will ever expect from them was their respect and since then, when she says something to them that opts for a return gesture; they never miss a beat. She grunted out and every student got into ready positions. Every time she let out a grunt, the students flowed (not snapped) into a different defensive and offensive postures. She had drilled them in their heads so well that they all were perfectly in sync. She kept her 'sight' on the students, but also on Sokka. His heartbeat was steady and she could tell that he was watching them.

She split them all off into four teams of six and had them pass around the fluid metal. It looked like fun, but it was hard to keep the flow of the metal to where it looked like water being passed around. Her students had surpassed that and were doing 'tricks' like snaking it around them or figure eights in mid air (or so that's what Lin and Su tell her). At the end of the class, though, she always picked two random students to spar each other, but this time was going to be a whole lot different, "Su. Lin. Sokka. Step forward."

She supressed her smile at the shock the man couldn't hide and the excitement of the girls who couldn't contain it. The two sisters stepped to one side as Sokka took the other and Toph spoke out to her class, "You all know Su and Lin, but... I would like to introduce you to Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe. He is a nonbender and has asked if he could train with me both in earth AND metal. I agreed to it and today will be his first test of what metal benders can do. And who better to show him how it's done than my very two best." She gave a huge grin as her class made a circle and she gestured for the three to enter, "When I give the signal, Sokka will use his previous elemental training to avoid all attacks while trying not to die. Keep your eyes on him, class. If I'm right, you all are going to see why you should NEVER underestimate a nonbender."

Sokka's heartrate was through the roof, but he placed one foot out and put his hand on the sheath of his sword. The two girls both slid and popped into attack postures waiting for the signal. Toph stomped and the two girls made their moves. She felt Sokka unsheath his sword and toss it away from himself and took the sheath as a weapon. Lin charged forward as Su gathered shards of earth and metal to shoot at the man. Sokka used the sheath to bat away the projectiles before bringing back to his side then using its edge to chi block Lin. After hitting a few vitals in her legs and arms, he spun used the sheath to knock the girl's legs out from underneath her. Lin almost hit the ground hard, but Su softened the earth before plunging spikes of earth at Sokka. Toph felt the man's arm reach behind and then jerk as if he were throwing something, and she knew what. She didn't think Su saw, but she felt Sokka go on the offensive.

He used the leather sheath as a sword and a shield from the earth and metal. Su's attacks got through a few times, cutting the man's arms and face, but she was still being pushed back. Sokka stopped pushing and was throwing out useless attacks until Su used a whip of metal and cut the sheath from his hand. He recovered quick and Toph was surprised by his next move. He jumped in mid air and the class all gasped before Su hit the ground. Sokka chased her as she rolled and had something to her throat that ended the battle. Toph crossed her arms and smiled. The class clapped for the nonbender and she felt Sokka help up Su and Lin and apologizing profusely. Toph's laugh doubled as the two girls punched him in the chest at the same time then gave him a hug on either side. He was really good, she had to give him that, and with her help... he'd be the best, hands down.

* * *

Another month passed. Sokka and herself had gotten close with meals, training, and drinking swirled together. She actually enjoyed his company. He was funny when he wasn't being stupid. She learned more about him and his sister and he learned more about her father. One evening, the two of them were walking down the sidewalk, chatting about Aang, his sister's boyfriend, when Toph stopped in her tracks. She felt a group of four boys surrounding a small, lemur-like creature whose heart was about to rip out of its chest.

The boys were fire benders and she felt her heart drop when one of them set the creature's tail on fire. She shocked Sokka with her sudden scream and explosion upwards that aimed her towards the alley way a few paces away. When her feet hit the ground at the opening of the alley, the four boys were catapulted in four different directions. She heard the lemur screaming and soon she lost it as it must of flown off. She heard a fluttering behind her as Sokka's feet stuttered and he rolled, he caught something with his jacket and was gently patting it down. He must have caught the poor thing.

The creature was chuffing and squealing, trying to get out of the coat as they busted through the door of Yu Dao. Toph, knowing every inch of the building though she couldn't see due to the floors being wood, went to where they kept the first aid kit, grabbed it and rushed back. She could hear Sokka speaking softly and calming the poor thing down. When the creature stopped struggling, he took the coat off. She couldn't see anything, only could hear the quiet. She slid the kit to his side and Sokka took it slowly. He was talking softly and she could hear his voice moving, but saw nothing he was doing. His low, sultry voice was suddenly directed at her, "Toph, I'm going to hand the little guy to you. I want you to hold him close to your chest as gently as you can, ok?" She nodded and knew he could see it.

He, slowly, brought the lemur to her arms and she equaled his slowness. She finally hugged the shivering mass of fur and it seemed to accept its fate. She could feel how high 'his' heartrate was, but the long Toph held it to her chest, the slower it got. She smiled and whispered softly to the bundle of fur, "That's right buddy... Shhhh... we gotcha." The lemur purred and squeaked as if answering her and it made her smile. She noticed a quick rate of his heart and he squirmed in her arms. She kept the creature pressed to her chest, but loose enough to not feel squished and she knew Sokka was taking care of the little guy's tail. When Sokka gave an ok, she released her grip. She felt the creature spread his wings and bounce off her chest. She heard Sokka giggle and guessed it landed on him. Her smile was only temporary since a sudden pressure landed on her shoulder then a cold nose on her neck. She let out a giggle and he stayed on her shoulder as Sokka announced he'd be right back.

Sokka came back and place a fuzzy fruit in her hands, already cut, and the flying lemur dove into her arms, feasting on the peaches. Sokka laughed and spoke with humor in his voice, "I'd say he's feeling better already."

After the little one ate his fill of the three peaches Sokka had cut up, the two walked outside to let him free, neither of them worrying about the boys that Toph had almost launched into space. She could see a whole lot better since they walked onto the concrete. She watched Sokka try and convince the lemur to fly off of his shoulder, but it just sat there, wiggling its bandaged tail. Sokka huffed and picked the lemur up and tossed it into the air. Toph loss sight of it, but jumped when it flew and landed on HER shoulder. She couldn't stop the laugh in her chest as Sokka put his hand on his hip and let out a squeaked, "Really?"

She reached up and rubbed the lemur's head and it purred, "Looks like I have ANOTHER addition to my ever growing Yu Dao family. I'll call him... Momo, since he loves peaches so much."

Sokka snorted happily, "Momo, huh? I like it. A whole lot better than the name I was thinking."

She couldn't wait to hear this, "Oma Shu... what was it?"

He laughed, mostly at himself, "Zuko."

He gave a laugh and explained that Zuko had a burn on his face from his father and though she didn't laugh as much as he did; she just enjoyed hearing him laugh so freely.

* * *

Momo fit in very sickeningly well. Lin and Su became the flying lemur's favorite people in its life. The girls spoiled the lemur to the point that Toph was amazed it could still fly. They fed it all kinds of fruits and veggies. When it came time for classes, the students all got a great laugh over the fact that she had become some kind of land pirate. Momo refused to leave her shoulders. This was a recurring event even when she was training with Sokka. Within a week, the lemur became just another acceptable occurrence in her life.

Sokka's progress had become almost overwhelming. His speed not only increased, but so did his strength. He was able to block a lot of her oncoming jabs, but it was his countering ability that made his extremely dangerous. By the end of most of the training days, the both of them were sore and exhausted. That gave them time to chat about mundane things or just funny stories of the day. Before she even knew it, a year passed and the man had become a full on earth and metal master. She even allowed him to teach a class on swordsmenship and the class loved every minute of it. She could tell by their heart rates. Su and Lin started to sword-spar with him because they seemed very intrigued by his methods. If Toph could see, she would've loved to have trained with him, too.

As the season's changed from sweltering to freezing, Sokka came rushing down one morning and scared the absolute shit out of her AND Momo, "TOPH... HEY... WAKE UP!"

She growled as Momo sprawled on top of her head, "I'm up. I'm UP."

He was out of breath as he clutched something in his hands. His heart was thrumming faster and faster as he just stared at her. She got impatient as her fear struck her wondering why he was so worked up, "WHAT IS IT?"

His notable silence in those few heartbeats caused her breath to hitch. She knew this day would come and though her chest and cheeks burned, she calmly spoke as she took Momo and placed him on the ground, "Is it your father?"

He huffed a little laugh and his voice had a tinge of darkness to it, "No. It's much worse... My sister is getting married."

Toph's confusion flurried like a bad storm as she felt the lemur scurry to the stairs, "SERIOUSLY? Sokka... JEEZ... I thought your dad had died. You had me worried for nothing."

Sokka almost marched over to her and she could tell he was not happy, "Wo-worried FOR NOTHING Toph. MY. SISTER. IS. GETTING. MARRIED. Married, Toph. M. A. R. Uhhhh... Ried. OK? Married."

Toph's eyes rolled and she shook her head, "So what? She apparently loves this Aang guy. What do you want me to do about it?"

Sokka circled around her in a turbulent frenzy of arms flailing, "Oh, that's just it, Miss BEI FONG; you can't do anything. I know my sister loves him, Ok. I DO. But... I don't know. It just... I don't want her to get hurt..." She heard his voice cut off and he let out a huge sigh and she knew he thought 'just like him' as he changed the subject, "Katara wants me to invite YOU to the wedding. She says she wants to meet the great Earth Bender who has matured her big brother. Seriously... MATURED ME? All you've done is beaten the living shit out of me and convinced me that I'm supposed to love it."

Toph crossed her arms over her chest and she grinned, "Excuse me?"

He stopped his furvor and softened up in a sarcastic way of saving his ass, "And I doooo so love it, Sifu."

She shook her head and laughed a bit as she heard the front door open and shut from the first floor. She sighed as she heard the sister's heading towards them then spoke to the snivieling man, "Well, I think you'll just have to be at that wedding all by your lonesome, Snoozles. I can't just up and leave. I have classes to teach."

Su's high pitched voice cut in, "WEDDING?"

Sokka spun towards where the two girl's feet just touched the earth, "Yes... MY SISTER'S WEDDING."

Toph rolled her eyes as she heard the two girls groan as if they understood him. That made her a little pissed and she didn't know why. Sokka started in on the two until Lin spoke up, "Sifu. Su and I can teach your classes while you're gone. It would not only be a great opportunity for us, but it would also give you a chance to travel. You need a vacation."

Su spoke up with her elevated voice, "Oh YES. Please Sifu. We can do this."

Toph could feel their excitement. The two girls were obviously hoping for a chance like this. She knew they would never backstab her, but that the two girls were just eager to teach. It was Sokka's excitement, however, that confused her. She sighed, "Ok. OK. How long will this wedding extravaganza be? And where will it be located?"

Sokka's heartrate increased and he spoke through a smile, "I'd say four and a half days. The wedding will be held at the Patola mountain range. It's where Aang was raised... The Southern Air Temple."

The two girls exclaimed 'Wow' together as Toph tilted her head. A mountain range didn't sound so bad and the girl's were right; she needed a vacation, but... with him and his family? She only knew his family by his random stories, but to meet them would be a little terrifying. She remembered just how much she didn't like crowds of people, yet, a small voice calmed her down and reminded her that HE would be there. Her cheeks flushed a bit and a question barged from her mouth to try and stop her mind from going any further, "Your sister... how does she know about me?"

She felt the two girls snap their attentions at the man and she felt his heartrate increase. He fidgeted with whatever was in his hands and spoke with a high pitched voice and spoke very fast, "I may or may have not been writing my sister about everything I do." He chuckled with a hint of anxiety before he spoke normally, "My sister wants to know how I'm doing and I know she'll panic if I don't write her, but... don't worry, I only tell her about my training. She was more excited about meeting another 'Master' bender. I may have left out the fact that you are actually a girl." He's body was still nervous and his words hit her.

"Wait! She doesn't know that I'm a GIRL?" Sokka lifted his arm and scratched the back of his head, "I... sorta left that part out. BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER! PLEASE TOPH. Please come with me. I do NOT want to be at a wedding by myself." She could detect a small hint of panic and sadness in his voice. He was probably thinking of the time with Suki and how he blotched his proposal and being surrounded by slobbering, sappy couples wouldn't help with his heartache.

She bent her head back and let out a huff, "Fine. You two girls are going to teach and I want you to send letters out explaining that you two are the best candidates for the job and if anyone questions that to come see me. You'll also take care of Momo while I'm gone." She heard Su's excited 'YES' and felt Lin's happiness through her heart as she spoke, "Thank you, Sifu. You won't regret this."

As she felt the happy beat of all three of their hearts, hers skipped a few. Mostly in a panic of her thoughts, but a majority from having to leave a place she'd called home for most of her life.

* * *

She "packed" a few things in her long, leather knapsack and headed down the stairs. Sokka had told her that they'd be flying there. She had laughed at him, thinking he was joking. She heard a rumbling trumpet like roar that shook her studio like an earthquake. She rushed to the first floor, "What the HELL was THAT?"

She heard Lin and Su laughing and exclaiming about something outside and before she could get out the door, the earth shook as if something crashed down. When her foot hit the pavement of the sidewalk, the breath in her chest rushed out in wonder and fear. A stout creature that stood nearly 13-14 feet tall and was as long as her studio as it jittered heavily with its six legs in the streets as it rumbled happily as the two girls petted it. She could feel that its bones were light, despite its massive size, as if they were hollow just like Momo's were. The creature's heart was strong and steady, but not as strong as the muscle structures of its tail that was flat and flexible. Suddenly, another pair of feet touched the earth, but like feathery tip toe. She couldn't get a fix on this person, but Sokka stepped to it and hugged it, causing its feet to touch and she could see him. Sokka's voice chimed in, "Long time no see, Aang. I'd like you to meet Su and Lin. Su... Lin... Aang." Then... it hit her and she dropped her bag causing everyone to stare in her direction.

"I KNOW you don't think I'm getting on that thing?" She pointed in the direction of the beast and a low grumble came from it.

Sokka turned, as Aang continued to share pleasantries with the two sisters, with a grin on his face and she could HEAR IT, "I told you we were flying there... did you not believe me?"

Toph tried to talk low, though she knew the irritation could still be heard, "Sokka... I'm an EARTH bender. Which means, and I know this is hard for you to understand, I LIKE TO STAY ON THE GROUND. So forgive me if I'm a little terrified of getting on the back of a huge... WHATEVER THAT IS... and leave my life in its hands."

Sokka gave a sigh and spoke to her softly, but not condescendingly, "I've ridden on Appa hundreds of times and I trust him more than I trust myself walking. Just, go introduce yourself to the big brute and maybe you'll change your rock hard heart."

Before she could rip his face off, a young and kind voice cut through the air, "Wait... Are you Toph Bei Fong? The earth and metal bender that Sokka was talking about?"

She snorted, her anger still throbbing in her chest due to Sokka, "Yeah. That's me. What's it to you, Twinkle Toes?"

The air bender stuttered and she could feel him staring at Sokka and Aang spoke again, "You didn't tell us she was... a SHE, Sokka. Your sister arranged for you two to be in one room... together. She is going to kill YOU... no... she's going to kill ME."

Sokka laughed as he slapped his brother-in-law in the back and moved to grab Toph's bag before wrapping his arms around her shoulders, "If there is anyone who could survive her wrath, it's you Arrowhead. Me and Toph can sleep in the same room. We're adults. We're friends. We're responsible."

He gave her an unseen squeeze as if he were asking for help and she gave a snarling smile that hid the irritation she felt fairly well, "Oh Yeah... me and Snoozles can handle it."

That gave the air bender enough to shake his head and give up. When he spun and launched into the air to land on top of the creature, she turned her head, pushed him off, then punched him on the arm with all her might then whispered harshly, "This is ALL YOUR FAULT, you Meathead."

He was still rubbing his arm but she heard him chuckle, "It is, but... at least this is gonna be fun. Now, come and meet Appa." Sokka dragged her over to where Lin and Su were petting the very smelly monster.

* * *

She could imagine how amazing flying would be for people with eyes, but to her... it was just the different whooshes and temperatures of the air constantly blowing her bangs. She kept her hair twisted and flipped up in her bun with her bangs long, to wind was persistantly bothering her. She was very uncomfortable with the loss of the earth under her feet so she gripped the side of the saddle with a sheer force. She could hear the air bender and Sokka talking but not understanding what they were saying due to the rush of flight. There were short but sudden jerks occasionally and it caused her to shut her eyes and tighten her grip. Spirits! She hated flying.

When they landed, Toph jumped off the bison and the earth caught her as she sarcastically fell to the ground and kissing it, "I'll never leave you again my SWEET SWEET EARTH." She didn't pay attention around her and she heard a few laughs. She blushed and noticed a tall, slender, but strong woman approaching her, still laughing. Toph stood up and gave a nervous laugh, "Didn't realize anyone was here."

The woman's voice was soft and flowed like a river, but it was her scent that made Toph's heart skip a beat. Coldness and Salt... before the woman introduced herself, she already knew who she was, "Hello, I'm Katara."

Sokka's sudden slam beside Toph jolted her. He launched forward and picked the woman up in a passionate hug, "Sis! I'm so happy for you!"

Toph could sense the happiness of the two and the group of people behind them. She heard Aang float down and land beside her and put her bag beside her feet as someone led the bison away. She felt foolish for coming. It was a sudden thought in her head. She wanted to run away, but... she just turned her head towards the air bender and spoke, "I never said this, but... congrats."

She could hear the smile on his face, "Thank you. And I never said THIS, but thank you for taking care of Sokka."

She smiled and punched the guy on the arm as a sign of affection, "It was my pleasure, Twinkle Toes." She was amused by the man rubbing his arm where she punched him when Sokka finally put his sister down. Katara gave one more hug to her brother's neck before turning her attentions back to where she and Aang stood before her sugary voice spoke again, "May I ask who you are?"

She knew the woman was talking to her, but Toph turned her head to look at the air bender then back at the woman, "I thought he was your betrothed?" She humerously pointed at the man, "You IMPOSTER!"

Aang and Sokka laughed, but she heard Aang's teeter off when she didn't hear the woman laugh and knew that she was giving them a look. Toph knew that she wasn't going to be a favorite of this woman but sighed, "Sorry. Just trying to break the ice. My name is Toph. Toph Bei Fong. I'm with the Meathead over there."

She could feel Katara's heartrate accelerate from shock and anger as the woman's head snapped over to probably giving her brother a very nasty look before she spoke, "SOKKA! What the HELL! Why didn't you tell me that Toph was a GIRL?" Before he could say anything, the water bender went into a rant, "Now I have to shuffle around Gran Gran and..."

Toph cut her off, "Hey. It's ok. I can sleep out here. I like to sleep on the ground. It's the only way I can see, anyways."

This, to Toph's irritation, offended the water bender, "I will NOT have ANY of my guests just sleeping on the dirt."

Toph smiled, "Then I guess me and your brother are just gonna have to share a room."

She heard the bride to be snort then snapped her head over to her brother (who jumped) then stormed off in a huff, "Sorry Twinkle Toes... I made your wifey mad."

Aang gave a groan, "It won't be the first or the last time she gets mad... I'll try to calm her down. One of the air acolytes will show you guys to your room. We'll be back later to go over the itenerary for the wedding."

She felt him 'scooter' off in the direction the water bender went and Sokka let out a laugh as he leaned down and picked up her bag, "I will definetely be paying for that, later."

* * *

The temple was beautiful. It felt as if it were carved right into the mountain and allowed her to see almost everything when she walked. The temperature wasn't too cold or too hot and that made the earth under her feet shift from cooled to mild, depending on if the sun was hitting it or not, as they followed one of the acolytes to their room. Though she could sense there the temple was bustling with people, it was quiet. Nothing like the city. The hallways were long and the carved 'castle' seemed to stretch even further down than it went up. She could live here.

With her distraction of 'looking around' she had missed most of the conversation Sokka was having with the monk. She could feel that they were getting along pretty well, not just with her 'sight', but with her hearing. He was telling the monk about the time Aang was trying to ride an impala-vulture and got bucked into a briar bush. The two men laughed all the way to their room as Sokka explained that he eventually got out, but lost his pants in the process. The acolyte stopped at an entrance way and opened the door. Toph shook her head as Sokka kept talking and the monk kept laughing, so she went into the room. She could feel how hallow the room felt. The ceiling felt as if it were etched higher and higher, but the room, itself, was solid and standard. There was a bed in the center of the room and pushed against the wall. There was some sort of elongated foot stool at the end of the steel and wood made bed. She could tell there were pictures hanging, but of what, she couldn't.

The whole room smelled of damp earth and flowers. It was odd to feel at home in such a small space. The could feel the bathroom was the door closest to the bed. The bathroom was fairly large but had nothing she could feel much besides a metallic bathtub. There was a small dresser beside the bathroom door and it seemed to be just a little shorter than herself. She shuffled her feet on the cooled floor and found a perfect spot. She put her bag down, plopped beside it, then earth bended and sent walls of earth rumbling around her to make a tent. She heard Sokka's little chuckle as he finished talking with the monk and he spoke, "I was going to offer you the bed, again, but... I totally rememebered who you were."

She bent one of the walls down and rolled out and the wall secured around her stuff. She knew that once she was well away from her little tent that it would stand firm as if it were made by the earth. Now, since they were alone, she wanted to know a few things, "Alright, Snoozles, give me the run down of your family and what it is I need to know. Cuz, so far, I think your sister and I will be butting heads... A LOT."

She feels him scratch behind his head, "Yeah. I had a feeling you two would, but... you have to understand. Katara is overly protective of the people she loves. She's moreso protective of me around women."

Sokka placed his stuff in front of the dresser and she could feel his heart strike heavily. He bent down and unzipped his bag as he spoke almost too softly for her to hear after letting out a very uncharacteristic groan, "I never told you this, but... when I lost Yue... I tried to kill myself. Well, not try... Did. I canoed to the middle of the ocean with a rock and a rope ready and threw myself into the water. I remember very clearly, how beautiful the ocean under the moonlight. Then... I remember the burning of the ocean water in my lungs and my body struggling and screaming to find air... then... nothing. When I came to, Katara was wet and frosted with ice and her lips were as blue as her eyes. Tears bled down her face and when I coughed up, what felt like half of the ocean, she collapsed on my chest and hammer punched me while calling me lots of names. She saved me... she KNEW I was going to do something stupid and she followed me. Well, ever since then, she has made sure that I was never alone. I don't think it's a panic thing for her, anymore, but just a motherly need for me to be with someone so that I never feel the need to do what I did, again."

Toph dropped her eyes and let her bangs cover them. He told her something that he's probably never told anyone. She had one she could tell him, too. A secret she never even told her parents or the two sisters she almost considered her own. She wanted to tell him about how it wasn't JUST her eyes that were useless... her reproductive system didn't work, either. But... this wasn't a time to try and one-up the man. She needed to be a friend. She needed him to know that he was more braver than she was, because all she did was contemplate suicide... he actually went through with it. She stepped to where he was still crouched over his bags and he noticed her and stood. She licked her lips and spoke, "If you ever tell anyone I did this... I will put a metal diaper on you while denying EVERYTHING."

She heard him give a questionable laugh, but she could feel it gasped back into his lungs as she wrapped her arms around his ribs and shoved her face into his chest. Her cheek was pressed against his sternum and she could feel the drum solo of his heart. Oma shu... his scent was so invigorating and his warmth was intoxicating. She couldn't help but smile when he rested his chin on top of her head and wrap his arms around her, "No worries, Chief. Your secret is safe with me."

She spoke as her voice was being muffled by the hug, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but, I agree with the Sugar Queen. If I would've seen that my own brother was at a point where death was the better option, I would've never left you alone. You are a such a huge, bright, shiny light in my life that... it would be dull without you. Everyone around you, flocks to you as if you were the only water source. Sokka... I know you don't think like that, anymore, but... it scares me to think that there was a chance that I would have never met you."

He was quiet, but his heart was speeding up. She let out a mental gasp as he pulled his chin and arms away making her loosen her grip in the hug then straighten up. She jumped ever so slightly as his calloused hands swept her bangs from her face and flattened on top of her head before his warm lips pressed against her forehead. They lingered there for 3 strong heartbeats before he pulled away and left a cold spot that was intiated by his calm, sighed breaths. Her body was humming like static electricity. She found her useless eyes trying to look at him and knew he could see her blushing. She wish she could see his face because his erratic heartrate and steady breathing didn't match his tensed muscles and slight trembling in his hand that held her bangs. His voice was gentle and rattled deeply, "Thanks, Chief." When his free hand caressed her cheek, she felt a painful heat strike her entire body. The hand on her cheek felt rough and scarred. It must have been his dominant hand because it felt like it was overused from training. But despite the chapped feeling, his hand was warm and inviting. His fingers cupped her jaw as his thumb brushed under her eye. The heat on her face got unbearably hotter as she felt the man move towards her. She closed her eyes and moved into him, but before they met in the middle, a knock on the door jolted them both and they broke away. She was oddly irritated, but welcomed the relief as Sokka released her with a grunt and went to the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**

 _Now to chapter 3. This one is a bit longer and building to the M part of my story. Chapter 4 will be the naughty one, so I may have to change this bad boy to an M when I post it._

 _Please forgive all the errors... no beta, no time to reread, ect ect..._

 _AND, I own nothing but the computer I typed this on, so... ENJOY._

* * *

Chapter 3

* * *

Toph grinded her teeth as she regretted ever coming with that damn Meathead. Two grown ass men had to help hold her down as a very dedicated woman tried to give her a pedicure. Her feet were the only body part she cared about, and this crazy ass woman was trying to use a pumice stone to rub off the dead skin, but what the woman didn't know was that Toph had built up layer and LAYERS of roughened skin due to the fact that she never wore shoes. So this 'Grinding Session' was becoming overly painful. When the girl earth bended herself into the ground and at the door, she made a run for it only to be caught by the bride-to-be (the REASON she had been drug to this crap in the first place) outside the 'grooming room'. Her hand was soft, unlike her brother's, but something was going on with Katara's heartbeat that she couldn't quite pinpoint since she held onto her arm tightly while laughing. Katara's laugh was so warm that Toph couldn't really get too angry at her, "I'm sorry Toph... I thought you would enjoy this."

She didn't want to fling the woman's hand off, so she just bent her head and spoke lightly, "My feet are super sensitive and all this girly crap is not up my alley... but this is your day and I wanted to make up for being a jerk the last time we met."

Her 'sight' on this woman was baffling. Now that it was just the two of them, she could focus on her. The heartbeat was completely irregular, so either she had one HELL of a heartmurmor, or she had two heartbeats. Toph gasped and turned to the woman that still had her arm in a firm grip. She softened up her voice as she finally understood what was happening, "Y-you're pregnant, aren't you?"

She knew she hit the nail right on the head as the water bender gasped and took a few steps back and her voice shook, "H-how di-did you know that?"

Toph took in the fear and anxiety that the woman's heart offered to her and she moved towards the woman, "I can sense more than bodies with my feet. I can feel pulses and fluxuations of bodies from people around me. I can almost distinguish emotions, as well. I felt two heartbeats from you. I'm not some child who believes you are an alien or shape-shifting spirit, so I just took the logical approach and assumed the obvious. Do-does Aang know?"

The water bender let out a sigh and started wrenching her hands together, "Yes."

There was something that she was hiding, though she wasn't lying about the father knowing, had to be, "Does your family know?"

She could feel the woman shaking her head and Toph felt a deep pang in her stomach. She reached out and gripped the woman's hands into her own and spoke kindly, "I have no clue as to how you feel, but... I think they would be thrilled to hear that they'll have a new addition to the family."

Katara freed one of her hands and placed it upon Toph's and spoke sadly, "I know they would. That isn't why I feel so... so... so terrified." She felt tears drip on top of her hand and she swallowed as she heard the woman fight off the sobs as she continued, "I-I'm scared that... that I'm not ready to be a mother. I'm scared that once Aang and I are married, that... that we'll start to hate each other. I'm so scared... that this... this baby will live its life just as afraid as I am."

Toph snorted and ripped her hands from the bundle then slapped them against either side of Katara's face, "HEY! Snap out of that SHIT!" She felt the woman jolt and freeze as Toph barked, "You are going to be a WONDERFUL mother and wife... if you are anything like your brother, that child will be loved more than anything in this world not only by YOU, but by Aang and every single person in your tribe and his. It won't be a breeze, but... you'll survive. The future is SUPPOSED to be scary, but... you're not alone, Katara. You'll never be alone."

She could feel the water bender smile against her hands and before she could react, she was in another hug. She growled but could feel the woman's anxiety flowing off of her. To lighten up the mood between them, Toph coughed out, "What is it with you water tribe people and HUGGING?"

* * *

The rest of the day was actually quite peaceful, in a 'bender' sort of way. Katara wanted to train a little with her before the 'ceremonial crap' started, so they climbed to a long 'plateau' close to the summit of one of the mountains. The air was a little frosted, but the ground under her feet had been warmed by the sun. When they were done stretching, the two women went silent and began a two out of three battle. She was used to the nimbleness of Sokka, so she wasn't expecting the pure raw talent that seemed to burn out of the water bender like a rushing river. Her feet left the ground and she took the moisture from all around to strike with water whips and shots of ice. Katara was definitely a master of her bending. Out of the three sparring matches, however, Toph came out two to one, but it was that ONE that showed Toph all she needed to know about the woman's fighting style. Ice seemed to be her go to, since there wasn't much water to work with. Ice could be, if not just, as dangerous as metal if not blocked or avoided correctly. Yet, it was the ice that Katara sneakily slicked on the ground that got the earth bender defeated the first time.

After a calming meditation after their bouts, Toph noticed just how relaxing this was. She misjudged the bride-to-be. She thought the woman was a stuck up Ice queen, but... she was as down-to-earth and calming like her brother. She blushed at that and shook her head of the thoughts of his hand on her cheek. Just before the thought bled out of her mind, Katara's voice cut through, "So. What's up with you and my brother?"

Toph's eyes shot open, "Wh-what do you mean? There's nothing going on between us. He's just a student and... recently... a friend."

The smug chuckle from the water bender bugged her a lot more than she thought it would, "What was that for?"

Katara broke her meditation pose and spun to face her, "My brother, bless his spirit, gets really attached to people. When he was younger, he was like a really energetic puppy. I'm thankful that he didn't have a tail because he would've knocked over everything in the hut. But, now, when he has something he is infatuated with, he does this head tilt and smirk while staring thing. He honestly has no clue he does it, but I notice. And what I have ALSO noticed is that he does it to you."

Toph simmered down her heart that was trying to leap out of her chest so she shook her head and gave a sarcastic smile, "Well... I sure haven't seen it."

She could feel the woman slump at her blind joke and it made her smile. She liked this woman... she wasn't stupid. She was aware of everything around her and that was something Toph could relate to. Suddenly, there was a haze of energy around them and the water bender's words were soft but tinged with concern, "My brother is in love with you."

Nothing ever felt as heavy as her body did at that very moment. Thoughts of Kanto whispering butterfly kisses over her stomach and saying that he would love her forever before it smoked and thundered into the doctor explaining that an untreated infection caused too much damage to her Fallopian tubes and she was unable to have children. She shut her eyes very tightly as she stopped herself from screaming, "Love? Oma Shu! He doesn't love me, Katara; he loves HIMSELF. He loves his PEOPLE. I'm just a friend." She jutted herself up with rock and stomped, "It's time to go back... I can feel a shift in the air. A storm is coming." Without giving the woman a chance to do anything, Toph earth bended down the side of the mountain.

* * *

She buried herself inside her tent and 'listened' to the temple. It was dead silent due to the fact that it was in the middle of the night. She could hear the 'not so soft' snores of her roommate and that kept her awake. She snorted loudly as she yelled within herself, 'That Sugar Queen... She seriously believed that SNOOZLES over there loved her. What a bunch of crap.' She rolled to her side and shook her head, 'He's a soon-to-be Chief of his people... it's almost the exact same situation I was in, last time. He'll eventually need an heir and I can't provide one.' She slapped her face to try and stop the tears, but they pooled and she spoke out loud, "When am I ever gonna get over this?"

She knew sleep wasn't coming anytime soon, so she quietly bended down a wall and slipped out of her tent. She went into blind ninja mode where she walked on the tips of her feet and opened the door as silently as possible. She left it opened just a crack then 'listened' for the direction of the nearest exit. She molded the earth under her feet and 'skiied' through the hallway without a single noise made. She stopped just in front of the huge doors they had entered in and tried to open one up. They were locked. She sighed before bringing a foot up, fluttering her hands up, then jerked her hands down as her foot stomped at the same time and she was sucked into the ground. She emerged just on the other side of the doors.

The night's air was much colder than she anticipated. The storm she predicted had only given the ground a measley shower. She shivered a little as the coldness of the damp earth shot up her bare feet. Since all she had on was her sports bra, tank top, and basketball shorts, the cold got her from every angle. She shook off the thought and found a perfect spot to meditate and get some well needed fresh air. She sat down on the cooled rock and sat Indian style. She rested her arms on top of her thighs and just took in the chilled air through her nose. She could feel bugs and other animals moving all around her, inside and on the mountain. She could sense the movement of the rocks and trembles of plates moving deep within the earth. She always told her students that earth benders were supposed to be an unmovable as the earth, but... that was just it... the earth is always moving... always changing. Earth was the strong element, but if one stone... one simple, stupid, and unpredictable thing goes wrong... the earth could crumble to dust. She wanted to believe that she was strong and unmovable. She wanted to cut Kanto's penis off and bury it. Leave it as a fossil for some people to find and laugh at... but... she didn't. She crumbled. Now, the word 'Love' was an insult. She could never believe people when they say that they loved her. She had let that one little pebble destroy her.

She yelled out and it echoed over the mountain range. A gruff growl snarled from her throat as she bent a boulder and launched it like a bullet. As it exploded against a far off mountain, she fell back onto the dank ground and sighed. Her long hair sprawling under her, taking the cold moisture in for only a second before it started to nip and numb the back of her head. She closed her eyes and took in the cold breeze. Her mind wandered. Sokka loved her? What a joke. Katara was too much of an emotional person. She saw 'LOVE' everywhere, Toph was pretty sure. Lovey Dovey was annoying enough, but... she swore she got diabetes from just sitting with the Sugar Queen. She was TOO sweet. Sokka was nothing like her, yet, exactly like her. He had his cynical, stupid, and clumsy moments, but... he laughed and smiled and touched all the time. He doubted himself so much, but encouraged everyone else. It wasn't just HER he loved. Sokka loved EVERYONE. Though, his heartrate increased anytime she got close to him, but... she assumed that was out of fear. She smirked at that. It was true that when she did get close, it was usually followed with pain.

He was a great guy, she'd admit that much, but... he was gonna be a Chief, soon. He needed some sons and daughters to pass on the royal blood. To fall in love with a woman that couldn't give birth would be a fucking dumb choice. She flapped an arm over her face as memories of his touch, his laugh, and his scent stabbed her heart over and over again, "The only one in love... is me."

* * *

Toph felt movement all over the mountain. She ended up just putting up a tent and sleeping out on the mountain range. She collapsed her tent and shot up off the ground with a huge stretch that caused her to growl. Most of the guests for the wedding were to arrive today, so she was sure that was why everyone was bustling around like frantic ants-snakes. As she gave a huge yawn, her ears popped and she stretched out her sore muscles. It was at this moment that she heard her name being called as if it were a game of Marco-Polo.

The first voice was Katara's and she sounded tired but desperate. She was about to call out to her when Sokka's voice boomed out. It was tinged with anger and hysteria. Toph's heart dropped. They... they were worried about her. They probably looked all over the place for her and noticed she was gone. Nothing would shit on the water bender's wedding more than a death. She felt horrible, but... there was a thrill to knowing that someone cared about her enough to panic.

She groaned and prepared to be scolded as she called out, "I'm over here."

If she could see the two sibling's faces... she was sure they were identically pissed off, but all she could see was their silhoutted vibrations both with their hands on their hips staring at her over the edge of the cliff.

* * *

Katara was passive-aggressively lecturing her as she brushed Toph's hair. She would've rolled her eyes and spat sarcastic comments at her, but she was too busy twisting her face in pain and flinching uncontrollably at the harshness of her brushing. The water bender made to throw in that she needed to brush these "dreadlocks" once in a while. Eventually, luckily for Toph, the bride-to-be finally vented enough out. Her brushing became gentle and, to Toph's dismay, so did her talking, "My brother came into my room in a full panic. I haven't seen that face on him since Yue's funeral. La and Tui, Toph, you can't do that to him. You can't do that TO ME." She pulled her hair with a light tug.

Toph's chest was tight. She hated that feeling. Before Lin and Su, she didn't have anyone to care what happened to her. So, when she didn't show up at the studio for three days due to a need to just... get away... when she came back, she was tackled to the ground by two very upset students. The feeling of them clutching and crying and banging their fists on her chest... it sucked out every inch of rebel out of her. This was exactly like that same situation except, this built a warm feeling in her stomach. She sighed and turned her head so the water bender could hear her, "I'm sorry, Katara. I had no intention of making anyone worry... I... I just needed some air."

Another tug on the ends of her mid-back long hair before Katara pounced on her back to hug her from behind. Toph gave a smirk as she patted one of her forearms, "This is your day... why are you worrying over me?"

Katara's hug tightened a bit and her voice waivered quietly, "I'm so nervous. Not the 'I'm Going to Leave Him At the Altar' nervous, but... the type of feeling that my cheeks burn and I can't catch my breath when I'm around him. Everytime I have a chance to think... I OVERthink. I love him so much... but my mind goes to dark places. Like... like I'm so terrified that I'm going to lose him and be all alone."

Toph felt the woman's heart thump, sadly, and she stopped herself from asking if that was about the water bender's mother. It was one of the things that Sokka never talked about and she wasn't sure as Hell not gonna try now, but she was positive that they lost her at a young age. Instead, Toph let out a faked gruff and said to the woman, "Well... Bride-to-be... since you need a distraction... I need a make-over for your wedding."

Katara pushed her cheek against hers and she felt the smile, "You got it, Miss Bei Fong."

* * *

She never had a female friend who was older than her or a female friend AT ALL. There were no spa days when you were blind and everyone feared your family. She didn't give two shits about how she looked and fashion was useless when sight was absent. As the gentle caress of the brushes against her cheeks gave her a bit of a chill, she reveled in the serenity of it. She had always had a hard time just trusting people, and here she was... finding solace in yet another member of the Southern Water Tribe. Katara was a gentle soul, despite knowing she could turn into a live wire at any given moment. Toph could feel a motherly love flowing from her in just the small bits of contact she had with her. Instances like these made he wish she had more female friends. The water bender had allowed her to borrow some 'feminine' clothes that she assured her would give her second place for the most beautiful woman at the wedding before rolling the earth bender's hair up in plastic tubes. The bra she gave her was pinching the small fat under her boobs, but lifted and pressed her breasts into a mighty fine batch of cleavage (that she could feel).

The dress, that the woman managed to talk her into getting into, was actually quite comfortable. It was sleeveless yet the modern straps felt like water that swooped over her shoulder and dipped down, revealing her back but going no further than the swell of her ass. She wouldn't feel so exposed once her hair was unleashed from these plastic monstrosities. She had no idea what color her dress was, but it cascaded down to the floor like a waterfall. The cooled fabric clung to her every curve and it made her feel... well... pretty. She somehow convinced Katara to just wrap her feet instead of having to wear shoes. Katara had found some softened material and began wrapping criss-cross behind the toes, under and over the foot a few times, around the ball of her foot and eventually around the ankle a few times before tying it where it had a bit of it hanging down like a tail. She didn't tie it too tightly and it felt perfect. Katara was about to do the next one, but she was interrupted by a bunch of people. One was a person that was helping with the wedding but there were two that Toph could tell by the bride's heart that they were people who were important to her.

Katara, being the sweet Sugar Queen she was, just HAD to introduce her, "Toph, I'd like you to meet my father, and Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, Hakoda and my Gran Gran, Kanna."

Toph smiled, stood, and bowed like her mother and father taught her so long ago, "It is my pleasure to meet you both. My name is Toph Bei Fong; Katara and Sokka are both dear friends of mine."

The man's voice, strong and proud like she'd expect a Chief's to be, rung out, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Bei Fong. And may I say, you are quite beautiful."

She blushed, not because he called her beautiful, but because he sounded exactly like Sokka. An older, gentler, and wiser voice spoke, "I've heard quite a lot about you, young lady. You are the main character in the novel's my grandson writes to me." She gives a chuckle before speaking through a smile, "I wanted to thank you for taking care of him. A lot of women in his life just coddle him, but all that boy ever really needed was a good whack on the bottom."

The four of them laughed at that and Toph felt a burn in her chest as the two guests excused themselves after expressing their love and happiness to the bride. They said their goodbyes to Toph and she gave a curt bow before Katara closed the door. She quickly when to Toph and finished the other ribbon on her foot and unleashed her rolled up hair. She felt the softened locks flow down her spine and cup her face. Her bangs were gone and her face was displayed dramatically. She felt the woman tug one side of her hair and pin it back. When she was finally done, she told her to stand. She heard the approved hum of both her and the other woman. She could tell by their heart rates that what Katara said next was the truth, "By the Spirits, Toph... you are beautiful."

Toph laughed and shook her head but kept her 'What is it with this family and the word Beautiful?' to herself as the woman who had come to get Katara ready for her OWN wedding spoke with an old voice, "Now, it's your turn to get beautiful."

A few strokes of thickened paste on her lips, pressing them on a cloth firmly, and a touch of a brush here and there and the bride was ready. Toph wished she could see her. She could only feel the woman's excitement. She was sure that the Sugar Queen was glowing with radiant beauty that would electrocute every person who could see her. She gave a smile as she spoke as a friend, "Katara... I can't see you, but... I know you're beautiful."

"Thanks Toph."

A pounding on the door scared the three women as Sokka's voice cut through. She knew she wasn't the only one who made a face, "Katara, you decent? I wanted to give you something before the big show."

Toph's heart was shoved somewhere in her throat at the thought of Sokka seeing her dressed like this. She didn't get to see Katara's smile, but she knew the damned woman had one as she shouted, "Come on in, Sokka."

He barged in with something about to come out of his mouth but he stopped and could tell that he was staring right at her. He stuttered incoherently for a few seconds before finally getting out a sentence, "I... sorry." He cleared his throat and moved to his sister. He seemed to be gripping two boxes and he laid the one he didn't present on the stand. His heart was all over the place in his chest and when he opened the box; Katara's gasp and erratic heart made her wish she could see. Sokka's voice cleared up the mystery, "Aang wanted me to give you mom's old betrothal necklace because, and these are HIS words, his was far too hideous for you to wear, so he helped me find it, and he wanted you to wear it."

Toph knew that the woman was crying out of joy as her big brother tied it around her neck. As both stared in the mirror, the man broke first and grabbed the woman's head and kissed her on her temple, "You are absolutely gorgeous, Sis."

She was warmed by the siblings, but a cold chill shot down her spine as she felt the man look her way, "I got a gift for you too, Sifu. I hope you don't mind?"

She stood her ground, "Why would I mind? Gifts are my second favorite thing."

Katara turned her head, "What's the first?"

Sokka laughed as he took the box and headed over to her before answering, "Herself."

Toph gave a laugh, "You know me far too well, Snoozles. So, what's the gift of yours?"

She heard the creaking of the box and he took her hand then placed a heavy, round, and chilled object in the palm of her hand. Her eyes went wide as she recognized the material. It was the same foreign earth that his sword was made of. She could feel the minerals and earth flowing all in it and she began to bend it into strange shapes as she smiled, "Wow."

She felt his elation as he explained, "I kept a chunk of the meteorite and forged it into a marble just for a keepsake, but... the thought of a master earth and metal bender having it as a reminder of her best nonbending student sounded better to me." All this wedding crap must have gotten to her, because her eyes teared up a bit. She smiled at the man in front of her and she reached out to find the man's cheek then placed her lips on the opposite one. She lingered for a few beats before pulling back, molding the marble as she brought it to her left bicep, and it looped around with curls on the ends, "Thank you, Sokka... I love it."

Katara cleared her throat making the man jump a little, "Big Brother, Toph needs a date for the wedding, could you escort her?"

Another feeling of a sly smile on the bride's face made Toph scowl at her, but the boy-man's 'With Pleasure' ended it. He offered her his arm and she took it before smiling towards the woman, "You'll do great. Just smile and remember that Aang can catch you if you run."

She laughed as Sokka escorted her out leaving Katara yelling something funny back at her.

* * *

Sokka's arm was covered in a smoothed, leather like substance with bits of fur in the seams. By the erratic rhythm of his heart and the slow but steady breathing, she could tell he was uncomfortable, "You gonna be ok, Sokka?"

"Huh? Oh.. ye-yeah. Yeah."

His behavior was a complete flip from just a few minutes ago and... frankly... it bothered her. She stopped, suddenly, and pulled him to a stop with her, "Alright, Boomerang Guy, what's going on?"

He bent his head down and gave a fake chuckle, "Can't hide anything from you, can it?"

She shook her head, "And you STILL try to..."

She heard him gulp, which had become a noise that she categorized with his 'Oh Shit' moments, and he said low but firm, "Two things... One. I have a pretty deep hatred and annoyance for weddings. You understand, the last one I was at... I watched the woman I love die. Two... well, You."

Her eyes widened a little, "Me? Oma Shu, Sokka... I said I was sorry. I didn't think me sleeping outside was gonna cause such a fuss."

He snorted out a short laugh, "No. NO. Nooooo... What I mean is that... Well... LA AND TUI... You're... Toph... You are Ravishing. OH Spirits... Listen to me sounding like a damn teenager. Ugh..."

She couldn't help but laugh as the blush faded off her cheeks, "You act like you haven't seen a woman before. It's kinda adorable."

They paused, her taking in his joyous heart beats and him taking in whatever it was he saw. She let out a pseudo groan, "Jeez... we're gonna miss the wedding if this keeps up."

He gave a laugh and started moving again, his hand on top of hers that were wrapped around his arm.

* * *

The ceremony was probably spectacular to see, but to hear... not so much. Sniffles of people crying and hushed Ooo's were all she could hear from where she was perched on the back wall. Sokka was actually one of Aang's groomsmen so she was left to fend for herself in a room full of people she didn't know and she wasn't about to sit and try to explain who she was. The vows were her favorite part of the whole thing and she found herself smiling, despite her hardened nature. Even though she wasn't really listening for it, she could hear Sokka's overly dramatic cry after everything was said and done. She shook her head at the big oaf and felt everyone heading in the same direction.

To be completely honest, she was picking her nose and not paying a single bit of attention when the air bender was going over the itinerary. Thus, she had no idea where everyone was going. She guessed the reception, but... the air bender's almost buddhist beliefs and traditions were foreign to her. The earth kingdom just had a sort of 'bedding' ceremony where the man and women were dragged to their rooms by the members of the other side of the family. It was big and loud and right to the point. She liked all the alcohol involved, too. Of course, that was just a lower ring wedding in Ba Sing Se that she'd snuck into in her 'wildling' days. The upper ring and middle ring weddings were boring, almost like this one, but this one was different. Probably because she actually knew the people GETTING hitched.

"A wallflower as pretty as you should not look so mischeivous." came a wise, older gentlman's voice from almost out of nowhere. It made her jump, slightly, as she pushed from the wall, slightly to 'look' in the general direction of the voice. The oddly comfortable voice spoke again, with an apologetic tone, "Oh my, forgive me, my dear. I did not know you were blind. You'd think an old man like me would remember to look before he leaped. What is such a strong young woman doing standing alone without seeing the possibilities?"

She curiously smiled. What did that even mean? But... there was something... familiar about him that warmed her heart, "I see everything except faces. Don't really care what people look like on the outside, anyways. It's their actions I'm more concerned with." As people passed by them in clumps, she could 'feel' the older man beside her. He was heavy set, but his heart was healthy and strong. His stance was in a protective posture yet, he had his arms behind his back with a smile on his face, "Such wise words. If only we could all see as well as you. I hope to chat with you again, I have finally found my nephew." He bowed without either sharing their names but she gave a slight bow back and they parted ways.

* * *

Push came to shove and she moved her wallflower party to the reception. The party was being held in a room that seemed to be made of wood. She had to step up to get to it, and now she was completely blind. Her hearing was as sharp as ever and all she could hear were the sounds of people laughing and chatting, the shrills of metal against plates, and the band playing. The band wasn't too bad. It was flexible, playing upbeat music to slow and steady. Sokka brought her some kind of punch that tasted oddly like onion and bananas. One sip was enough and she blatantly shoved it back at him.

It wasn't too long until a few ladies approached Sokka and herself. She didn't need her feet to tell her that at least one of the women of the three were swooning over the single Chief-to-be. She intended to just let the harpies have him, but when his arm curled around her neck and rested on her shoulder to pull her close, her attention was yanked to his words, "Yeah, this here's my girl. Toph I'd like you to meet Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee."

Toph gave a 'not so thrilled to meet you' smile, "Hey."

One of the women gave a high pitched 'Hhmph' and stormed off. She guessed that was the one aiming for him. The other two women had no emotions in their greeting before walking off after their friend. When she was sure they were out of sight and listening range, he brought her close in a comedic hug, "Oh THANK YOU. That was Zuko's sister, girlfriend, and the circus girl that I slept with."

Toph started to laugh, "I can't see anything and I know which one you slept with."

He made a gruffed sigh, "She is a flexible little thing, but CaRaZy. She's the one I learned the chi blocking attack from."

For some reason, that frightened her a bit, but it was gone as quick as it came. It was a few seconds after that when she realized that Sokka still had his arm around her. She noticed that where he leaned on her was getting hotter and hotter. Before she even had time to shove him off, his voice hummed in her ear, "I know you are absolutely blind in here, but... I think we should dance."

Toph shot him down, immediately, "Ummm. No."

His arm flew off her shoulder and he grabbed her arm and pulled her, "C'mon..."

She had no earth stop herself, so she put all her weight backwards, "NO Sokka! Nooooo."

He yanked her with his easily forgotten strength and her cheek smushed against his BARE CHEST?! Granted, it was warm in here and he probably had no shirt under his weirdly textured suit. He spoke in a hushed voice, "Easiest way to learn to trust is to follow a leader wanting to lead. My mother told me that when she taught me how to dance... aaannnddd... you are far too pretty to just be a wallflower all night. C'MON!"

All she knew was the warmth of where she and Sokka were connected, the roar of the strings and boom of the bass, and her own heartbeat banging in her ears. It was far more intense than she had expected. Their hands were flat against one another and his hand was on the exposed part of her lower back. In one fluid motion, he took command and, for the first time in a very long time, she put all her trust in him. The tempo was quick and so was Sokka's feet. She was twisting and spinning and before she knew it, the two were laughing. He spun her around and brought her back then they were off skipping and swooping until the swell of the music started and stopped, where Sokka dipped her.

She felt her long hair cascading to the floor as the sweat on her face overexaggerated the breaths from Sokka on her skin. She bent her head back up and their heavy panting mingled. He brought her up, slowly, and barely noticed some people were clapping as he brought her close making her arm slide around his neck. Her body was now, officially, on fire. She was so close to his body that she could feel the heat pouring off him, as well. The two snapped out of their euphoria as if remembering they were on a dance floor.

The two took a small bow and Sokka led her back to the wall. He cleared his throat and tried to speak in his proper, goofy way, "Well... it wasn't that bad, was it? I'm gonna go get some refreshments. I'll stay clear of that punch. Be right back."

She could only nod. Didn't he feel that? That... pressure? Oma shu! She wanted to rip that man's clothes off and hump in front of everyone. She groaned at herself and banged the back of her head against the wall behind her. She was clear in her thirties and STILL battled hormones. She felt the sensation of someone close to her and an unfamiliar voice spoke out, "Wow. You are one hell of a dancer."

She snorted, uninterested, "Thanks."

The man's voice, more presistantly asked, "If it's too much to ask, may I have the next dance?"

W-was this guy serious? She was at a loss for words, but the man wasn't, "You looked so beautiful out there and all I could think about was how graceful and unbelievibly sexy you were, please. Allow me the ne..."

The man was cut off, but not as cut off as Toph was went arms snaked around her and pressed her back into pure warmth. His arm pressed the cold metal of his gift against her arm and Sokka's scent became almost like a forcefield. His lips ghosted over the bare skin of her shoulder and up her neck. She was glad his hands were preoccupied with the drinks he clutched as her mouth hung open, hoping that the heat that was consuming her skin would vent out her mouth. When his lips got to her ear, they took in loose lobe of her ear and he slid it in between his tongue and teeth. She couldn't stop the gasping moan from her lips as she leaned more into him. Her exposed back met his exposed chest and before she knew it, the other man had fled. He gave a final sucking to the lobe before he pulled away from her with a hefty laugh. Sokka placed a cup against one of her numbed hands and she took it, carefully sipping it since she was still trembling. It tasted like burnt cherries and had an awful sweet after-taste, but she drank it all and heard Sokka sigh out, "Where's the alcohol when you need it? Damn Monks and their Teetotalism."

Toph couldn't agree more. There was nothing she could want more than some whisky or rum. Instead, decided that she'd had enough of the reception and needed some fresh air, "Well, Snoozles, I've had enough of being a REAL blind person. I need me some earth. Point me to the nearest exit so I can find me a mud hole to roll around in."

She couldn't feel anything that was happening. She knew how many nails were in each board she walked over, but not who was standing on them. It was frustrating and she only put up with it for Katara. But now that her and Twinkle Toes were hitched, there was no need for her to play the good guy. Sokka's whiny, sarcastic voice sung out, "C'mon Toph, don't leave me here to suffer alone. What if Gran Gran comes over with a woman she wants me to meet. We're in this garbage heap, together. You Don't Leave A Man Behind!"

She grinned a little and her mind tortured her with the feeling of his mouth on her ear so she dramatically shot her arm up and her palm facing him, "I'm sorry, Snoozles, but... this is goodbye."

Sokka gave a fake groan and grabbed her arm to lace it with his, "Fine. I'll lead you to your freedom."

She couldn't help but smile and hug his arm in a joking manner, "My Hero."

Just like in the dance, she showed full trust in his ability to lead. He suddenly stopped and it jolted her a little because he gave no warning. It was when she heard the remnants of a deeper voice that spoke with a harsh tone, "Hakoda's son is strong, I'm not denying that, he has the blood of the wolf, but... he lacks maturity. He has been off gallivanting around the world drinking and fucking to his heart's content all while ignoring his responsibilities as an Alpha's son. And you would think with all these women he has been with that he'd at least have given one grandchild, by now, so he's failed not only as an eventual chief, but a MAN too. Then, he allowed his only daughter with the blood of the wolf, to marry a scrawny AIRBENDER instead of my SON, a wolf-blood from the NORTH. That Hakoda... he's disgraced BOTH of our tribes."

Toph could feel his pulse in her grip and she knew there was nothing that would stop him as he ripped out of her grip and left her in the dark only to hear the anger and protectiveness in Sokka's voice, "Yataark, I don't give a DAMN what you say about me, but don't you dare speak ill of my father or my sister at her own WEDDING."

"How dare you speak TO ME with that tone, you little welp. I am the proud Wolf of the North and you are just the wandering hobo of the South. If you wish to address me, properly, you will get on your knee and beg for my audience."

The intensity of the room turned to static all around her. It popped in her ears and she wanted nothing more than to hear someone's voice. She heard, instead, Sokka's laugh, "You think you can use your size and position to intimidate me? That's adorable." She wasn't sure about anyone else, but she smiled a little as his voice got louder and seemed to move around as he spoke, "For all you gossiping pig-heads information, I HAVE been traveling around the world. I may have drank and had sex a few times, here and there, but, mostly, I have been training with the greatest warriors in the history of our times. I've trained with fire benders who can manipulate lightening. I've trained with water benders who could bend the blood in your veins. I've even trained with one of the last airbenders in this world. I've even trained with nonbenders who make, even the strongest benders, look like little kids on a playground. Now, I've been trained by the greatest earth bender of all times who CREATED metal bending. I wanted this and so did my father. He wanted me to learn about all the nations. He wanted me to see how each of them lived and what WE as leaders of this small tribe could do to better ourselves AND the world around us. So, forgive me if I didn't want to be a mindless fucking wolf like you... I've only wanted to be like my father. A man who loves his people. A man who respects everyone and gets it in return. But, above all... I wanted to be better than him. Just like he always wanted Katara and I to be... BETTER. So, Yataark, I'm gonna say this only once... if you speak ill of my family or my friends one more time; I will be happy to show you all the training I recieved, first hand and take your position as Alpha of the North. Now, you are no longer welcomed at this party, so leave peacefully."

Toph felt the static again and she took a stance. She readied the nails at her feet in case she had to shoot them. Luckily, the Northern Chief scoffed and she could hear him and a few others march away. When they were out of her earshot, the other people at the party seemed to loosen up and they all moved to congratulate Sokka. She relaxed her stance and couldn't help but smile. He handled that like a true leader. She was proud of him. But the more she stood there, hearing all the excited voices, the more she wanted to escape. What was this unnerving feeling? Oh. She knew. It was the realization that Sokka wasn't always going to be around. She had become too attached to him. She swallowed down the lump in her throat as she started to back up, her hand stretched out behind her searching for a wall. When she found it, she calmed her breathing and started to follow the wall in the direction he had been taking her before they had stopped.

He called her name and she jumped a little and only moved faster. She wanted him to stay with his people and she just wanted to get out of the room. Unfortunately for her, Sokka could actually see. He caught up to her with him trying to catch his breath, "Where in the world were you going? I thought we were escaping together."

Pettiness. She couldn't stop it from bleeding out of her mouth, "Didn't want to interrupt you getting praised by your fans. Look, just go back and start kissing babies... I'll be fine."

Despite her wretched tone, Sokka just laughed it off, "Yeah, they do love me. Can't blame them though, I AM awesome. Anyways, I'm a man of my word! I said I was gonna take you to some earth and that's what I'm gonna do." Her eyes shut tightly as she wanted nothing more than this sweet little cinnamon-bun of a man to just go off and find some real friends. When he offered his arm to her, she sighed and patted it with her hand, "No can do, Chief. I am gonna be ok, you need to find you a sweet little Chief-ess here... and I'm a terrible wing-man."

This seemed to have stunned the man because he didn't move and she could feel him staring. When he spoke, his voice was irrate and hurt, "Wow. So, you think that's all I care about, huh? You know, Toph, not everything I do is about sex or children. Maybe I just wanted to spend time with my new frie..."

Toph cut him off, "Oh PLEASE Sokka, I know what DUTY is to a Chief. It is to procreate NOT befriend. If you don't have someone to pass along the bloodline, then you're lineage will fall. You will become nothing more than another NOTCH on the totem pole of your clan. If you don't have a proper heir, then you become a failure not only to your people, but to your family."

Sokka let out a puff of air in an exasperated way, "How would you know anything about being a Chief? How would you know the struggles of being a leader?"

He drawled on before something in her snapped. She wanted him to feel the hatred and pain and embarrassment she felt so she screamed, "BECAUSE I WAS THE FAILURE OF MY FAMILY!"

The static returned in the room, but she wasn't going to let it catch her ears, this time. Her body screamed for the metal in the boards and she used their song to find the nearest exit. She bolted out of the room leaving the boards rattling and rocking as the nails wanted to follow her. She flew out of the room and when her feet hit the earth outside the building, she earth bended herself straight up in the air and ricocheted off the edges of the temple, sending shards from the clay shingles shooting out every time she bounced. When she finally reached the top, she crashed down, knee first, against the terracotta shingles and left a wave of cracks in her wake.

* * *

It wasn't until she stayed there, bent over, that she noticed that she was crying. What the fuck was WRONG WITH HER? Why does she always do this? The drops fell and darkened the clay tiles beneath her. She stood up and let the wind flail her hair around behind her. She could feel it flapping wildly as she wiped the tears off her face with her entire arm. She was such an idiot. Why did she always run? She started to move from the deep dent she made until she reached a wall where the elongated roof connected to the temple. She spun and pressed her back against it. It was cold against her bare back and she was sure she ruined the dress and the ribbons around her feet from the reckless escape. She slowly slid back down to her butt as the tears were diving down off her cheeks. She clasped her hands together and pressed the top of her knuckles against her forehead as she let the tears burn down her cheeks. She hated herself. She never ran from any of her other problems. She always stood firm and never waivered... but this one memory... that fucking bastard... it made her wanna run forever. Because if she didn't run, it would catch her. It would plow right into her and remind her of just how weak she really was. She closed her useless eyes and let the breeze dry the tears that left chilled streaks.

Her body tingled as if it were about to betray her again. It trembled and felt numb as the shivers from her adrenalin rush started to wear off. When she calmed down enough for her senses to return, she could still hear the echoes of the band down below. As she took in a deeper breath to slow her heart, she could hear a low voice calling out. The first few times just sounded like a an alley cat meowling. But, as the voice got closer, she recognized the tone and the word being yelled out...

"TOPH!"

How in the HELL did that bastard find her? There was no WAY he saw where she went. Yet, Sokka's voice called out at a land bridge that connected one temple to another right below where she was, "TOPH! PLEASE ANSWER ME YOU STUBBORN ASS WOMAN!"

She moved to her hands a knees and crawled quietly to the edge. She used her 'sight' and could feel him pass the bridge and was right below her. She swallowed and gave out a defeated sigh. She gave a smile, though sadly, to herself and thought of how Sokka always seemed to catch her. He wasn't as fast as her nightmare, but he never gave up. She sat back on her ass and shook her head before rolling forward, twisting her body to grab the earthen tiles, and flipped to land unbelievably light on one foot in the terrace below the roof. When the foot hit, she could see that Sokka stopped walking and spun around to where she landed.

There was a long pause... long enough to have that static build up begin to compress her skull to the point that she was about to go back to the roof. His heart, unlike his body, was going a mile a minute. He took one step forward before he spoke, "Why in the hell do you keep running away from me? Better yet, why do you keep getting angry AND THEN running away from me? I know you are an earth bender, but... don't just bolt like that. I didn't know if you were hurt or dead or just... FUCK." He bent over to catch his breath and slow his heart. When he stood back up he stared at her, intently, "Man... there is something that you aren't telling me and... and..." He stopped talking and seemed to look around before finally sighing harshly, "Look. Stop running. Ok? Stop running and tell me what's going on. You can tell me anything. ANYTHING, Toph. I think you've known me long enough to know that." She bent her head and shut her eyes tightly as he continued to talk, "You were married before? That much is obvious, now. But... why are you a failure?"

She grunted out a sigh then walked to him. She could tell by his posture and heartbeat that it made him nervous, but she stopped just a two person gap apart and licked her lips, "When I was a kid, I had two sides. One was the snot-nosed, rebellous earth bender who wanted to have fun and celebrate my new ability. The other half was the perfect little doll my parents made me to be. When I turned 15, I was betrothed to the son of a wealthy family. His name was Kanto and I fell head over heels in love with him. He was handsome and smart and just as much of a rebel as I was, but... apparently, my wallowing in the mud days of my youth somehow got me an infection in my vagina that I didn't get treated and it eventually destroyed my reproductive organs. I couldn't have his child." She gritted her teeth and fought back the tears as she continued with her eyes darting down hoping he couldn't see the sorrow building up.

"I watched as a man who vowed his love and life to me, slowly get bored and angry. His father and my father were constantly pressing him for an 'heir' to their Kingdom. So, his lovemaking turned into FUCKING. Years went by and I still wasn't pregnant. If I couldn't give birth to the next heir... then... what good was I?" His heart was fluttering faster almost catching up to her own and she clutched her chest as the memory really started to stab her, "Soon his love turned to hate and disgust. He shunned me and ridiculed me in front of my family and friends and even fucked other women while I was sleeping next to him. He 'officially' severed our relationship by making sure everyone knew how much of a useless woman I was because I couldn't give birth. "The only reason you can STILL be considered a woman is because your cunt gets wet." were his exact words." She started to tremble not just from the breeze that whipped her hair, but by the memory of being pinned down and choked, "H-he..."

She pressed her hand to her neck as the words got caught in the terror and memory. She had metal bended at that moment. The memory fresh in her head and she spoke it out loud, "He started to choke me. Hard enough to kill me. And my throat started to crush... I closed my eyes and begged the spirits to give me strength and screamed that I didn't want to die... and that's when I learned how to metal bend. He had a sword above his make-shift throne and I called it to me. Begged it to save me. It went right through his chest and the tip of the blade sprayed his blood over my face. I... I killed him. My trial was short. Self-defense. When I got out... my family renounced me... and I ran. I ran and never looked back. I started teaching earth benders and soon, metal benders. I paid for that studio by cheating gamblers out of their cash and made it my home."

She had never told anyone that story and it felt like a dam had just imploded. She buried her face into her hands as relief and sorrow leaked from her eyes. She heard Sokka's exclamation, "Son of a Bitch..." before he moved to her then crushed her in a tight, bare-skinned hug. She moved her arms from her face and wrapped them around him as she wailed within his heavenly grip, not remotely caring that their skin was plastered together, as he brushed her long hair away from her ear and neck, "Shhhhh..."

He shushed her and stroked her hair until the cries turned to rumbling sniffles and she tried to catch her breath from crying. He held her close, his scent surrounding her, comforting her just like its source. When she was calmed down enough, he spoke again, "You were never the failure, Toph. You were a woman who wanted to be loved by a man. They didn't need an heir, they just wanted someone to pass the money to. They put too much pressure on you. Too much pressure on the BOTH of you. Instead of worrying about if you and Kanto were happy, they cared about keeping the money in the family. That responsibility caused the man you love to become heartless and insane. He took all the frustation of that pressure out on you. You were the strong one. Even though you're cracked just a little, you still stayed strong. You didn't fail anyone, Toph. They're the ones that failed you."

Those words... those sweet, kind, and gentle words... they squeezed her heart. They flowed around her and lifted a burden that she always wanted someone to remove. His fingers swept her long hair behind her ear and behind her shoulder as he rested his palms on her cheeks, "I've told you this a thousand times and you have never believed me once, so let me try again. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. I see you and I... I see someone who could challenge the world and win, hands down. You are a force of nature, Toph Bei Fong. What makes you a woman isn't reproduction... its your beauty, your strength, your gracefulness, your passion, and even your brutal rudeness." She sniffled and she could hear his smile, "Toph, you would have been an amazing mother, but that doesn't mean you aren't a woman." He leaned back just enough to kiss her temple then whisper softly, "And if that isn't enough... I may have fallen in love with you."

Knives could never be as sharp as the words from his mouth. They stabbed her chest and dug deep makin her push off his chest in disbelief, but he didn't let her go. She took in a deep breath through her nose and spoke with that brutal rudeness he loved so much, "What... what the fuck, Sokka. You're a soon-to-be CHIEF of your ENTIRE tribe and I'm some muddy child that taught you how to take a hit. You're situation is much more serious than mine. I JUST TOLD YOU that I can't give you an heir. I can't! I just can't do that to your people... or to you."

His arms fell from her she could feel the chill of the night or the shiver of despair, she couldn't tell the difference. She could feel him staring down at her, but she kept her eyes downcast, "I'm sorry, Sokka. You and I both know that's how it is. Duty to your people is held way above the wants and needs of man."

He took a step away from her and bent his head down. She was actually happy she was blind for that one moment because if she could see his face; she'd probably would have flung herself at him. He let out a rough sigh, "You don't know anything about my tribe, Toph. We are called the wolf-blooded for a reason. The reason I trained so hard is because only the strong lead the pack. We don't breed our Chief's... the position is fought for." There was a feeling of a slap to her face as she could hear anger and frustration building up in his voice, "You are so busy hiding behind your trauma that you won't even give me the time of day. I tell you that I love you and you... you think I just wanna bury my dick inside of you? I'M NOT THAT GUY! I'm... I'm not that guy, Toph." He grunted and swiped his hand over his face, "One of these days, I'm gonna learn to stop giving my heart to people." When he turned away from her and started walking, a heart-wrenching numbness struck her body and she stood there with her mouth hung open like the useless fish she was. She heard it. She heard it right behind those words. His heart shattered along with her own. She stared straight up and let the tear fall once again. She was ignorant to his culture and never once thought to ask him. The numbness and loneliness she felt as he continued to walk further and further away was just the price she'd have to pay for her ignorance. She stomped her foot upon the rock and it shattered the terrace around her. So damn stubborn that she didn't listen to her heart to chase after him.

* * *

Toph finally had enough courage to head to the room that she and Sokka shared. She had promised Katara that she wouldn't sleep outside again. Being a stubborn fool that she was, she never broke a promise. What the hell was she gonna do when she got there? She KNEW she should apologize, but her stubbornness wasn't gonna allow that. She could just rip his clothes off and give him a blow job... that may get her on good terms and was what EVERY man would want instead of an apology. She groaned at her perversion. The awkwardness that would reside in that room would be enough to make the furniture hang themselves. As she approached their room, a noise cut her thoughts short. She stopped right in front of their door and the sound she heard made her stop breathing and turn her insides into frozen slush. A woman and man both moaning and grunting. Every inch of her body felt like it had gone to sleep. She licked her abruptly dry lips and tried to catch her breath, but every cry out... every exclaimation to the spirits... every creak of the bed frame... stabbed her deeper and harder until it pushed her back against the wall and she slid to the floor gasping for air. The despair she felt was like a crush gravity that blurred and screamed inside her head. She closed her eyes and fought the tears and the sirens inside her brain. Make it Stop... Make it Stop... MAKE IT STOP!

"Who the HELL is having sex in our room?"

With Sokka's voice, Toph was ripped back into reality like a pop of a top, and she stared up at where he stood with utter shock lined on her face. She felt him, now. He stood and was leaning against the wall right beside where she had gone into a stress coma and his voice seemed annoyed, "I had to talk to my father for a bit. Didn't realize that someone did a Goldilocks on us. Sounds like everything was just right." He looked down at her and she felt him push off the wall while still looking at her. She knew her face hadn't changed since she heard his voice and she knew he was reading her like a book and his voice made her shoot her face down, "You thought it was ME in there... didn't you?" She felt him squat down and he waddled a little bit closer with a smile in his voice, "YOU THOUGHT IT WAS ME? REALLY? Ok... Ok... fair assumption, it IS our room, but... you have to admit that you're glad it's not me, right?"

She didn't say anything. She was such a stubborn asshole. It was as if the last couple of hours didn't happen between them. If she just admitted it, he'd probably scoop her up, kick the two out of the room, and fuck her right there, but... they just HAD this conversation not but a few hours ago. She rejected him and he left, broken hearted, so what was she getting her hopes up for? The silence was too long and Sokka's voice got closer and softer and that made her attention snap, "I know you feel something for me, but I also know your pride won't let you admit it." She refused to acknowledge him. After a few moments, however, she lifted her chin up at the sudden silence of the man. She could feel a trepid energy that seeped into her feet and throbbed all the way up her body. She didn't know why, but she readied herself for an attack. Her muscles tensed as a tepid stream flowed against her skin from his whisper, "Why won't you let me love you?"

He leaned in but stopped mid way as if he regretted his actions. His fingers played with the band she bended from his gift around her arm and she could feel the soft air from his sigh linger on her skin. The freezing salt of his scent was so overpowering that it struck her brave. She licked her lips and made up her mind. She rose towards him, blindly, but her aim was never better. Their lips met and it was like a thunderstorm raged inside her. She was a fool. This is exactly what she was trying to avoid... yet, it set her soul aflame. His lips were so soft, like the pedals of a flower, but they moved and fled and chased her kiss. Alive and hungry. She wanted to push him away, but her own lips became greedy. The arms she lifted with the intent of pushing him, wrapped around his neck, instead. His kiss was nothing like she had had before. His was patient and caressed every single nerve that caused goosebumps to raise across her skin. He broke away only to pull her up to her feet and press her against the wall. That warrented an unpredictable moan that shocked her more than it did him. He broke away again to catch a swift intake of air and a lick of his lips before he delved in again, this time, adding a little more aggression to it that only drove her to equal his movements.

His tongue danced at seam of her lips and was soon met with her own. The slimy muscles slowly tumbled and massaged one another building up an electric pulse that she could feel radiating from him, as well. She tightened her embrace and he leaned closer. The flushed ferocity between them ignited into a fervorous yearning. One of his arms were pressed against the wall just above them as the other pressed its fingers powerfully, but chastely, into her hip. His calloused palm kneaded the clothed, plump flesh of the hip as he kissed her. She slid her arms from around his neck and pulled her head away to catch her breath. She could hear him panting and felt it breezing into her cleavage. Her hands found more courage and began touching the ridges of his abdomen and sides. There were dips and uneven slots where new and old scars were randomly splayed all over his flesh. His muscles were tight yet still found a way to flinch at her touch. The deep humming moan from his throat caused a few of her own muscles to twitch below. She needed to 'see' him more and slowly painted a picture in her mind of what his chest looked like as her hands traveled back up. They slithered over his shoulder slowly before tracing a single finger over each of her collar bones. Her hands trickled up his neck deliberately remiss of the curvatures and blemishes of scars on his face. He was so patient with her. He let her have her fill of touching. He smiled and she could feel his face contort to do so. She used her finger tips to trace a scar under his eye and he kissed at her palms. He took the hand with his own and used the tip of his tongue to lick the line in her hands before fish kissing down to the wrist. He kissed the pulse before dipping his head down and suckling on her neck hard. She knew he was leaving his mark.

A whimper left her throat as she used her freed up arms to lean forward and push her palms against his freshly shaven sides of his head to pull him off her skin with a pop. When her fingers found the band that kept his mohawk ponytail, she pulled it off and let his small amount of hair trickle down. She could feel him panting against her face, again, and both his arms were pressed on the wall on either side of her head. She laced her fingers within the small bushel of hair and urged him back into a deep kiss. He had accepted the command, but was jolted away at the sound of their room door opening behind Sokka.

Toph didn't recognize the couple, but Sokka did. He was lecturing them on not only drinking underage, but having sex, not just in another person's room, but in general. The boy was 17 and the girl was 15. Sokka promised not to tell either of the kid's parents and they both bowed to him with full respect. They both ran off, hand-in-hand, and left the two staring off after them. He cleared his throat, "Well... that was awkward. I changed that kid's diaper. I know what his penis looks like. Poor girl."

Toph laughed and she pushed off the wall towards him intent on finishing what they started. He stopped her half way, "Wait... wait right here. I have to go check something."

In her confusion, she stayed put as he rushed back inside. She could hear him frantically patting the top of his bed. She felt a few blankets hit the earth then he hurried back to her. She could feel his heart and it was almost vibrating like the wings of a humming bird-moth. She could hear him swallow before he spoke, "I want to warn you that I haven't had sex with a woman in 6 years. So, I may or may not be a little rusty, not saying that I don't know what I'm doing... only, it may be a quicker encounter than you are expecting."

Her brow raised a little and she took a step forward. She could feel every inch of her body aching. She stopped with about two feet away and spoke, "I haven't had sex with a man since I was 18, and every 'encounter' I had was quick, so... no pressure."

There was a deepened silence and Sokka's heartrate changed drastically. It happened to people who were hiding something. Fear struck her heart and she took a few steps backwards. Her body still hummed with desire, but there was something cold and venomous at the back of her mind. She took in a deep breath and dropped her head as she spoke, "Answer me something, Sokka. When this trip is over, are you going back to the South Pole?"

Another broken silence between them caused her heart to rip and tear with every heart beat. She heard his gulp, but it was slow and full of the words he wanted to say, so instead he said, "I don't know."

She nodded her head and cursed herself. She knew it was coming. He didn't say yes, but his uncertainity made the answer a yes, "Katara didn't ask you to invite me to this wedding did she? You just wanted me to come so you could say goodbye." She let out a laugh that dripped with sadness and anger, "So you thought you'd fuck me and wave as you flew your bison into the sunset."

Sokka shook his head, "No. That wasn't my intentions. Toph, I..."

She cut him off, "Stop. Ok! Just stop... I knew you were going to leave, one day. I was TRYING to ready myself for it. You were becoming a happy part of my life and no matter how cold I was to you... you always found a way to weasel yourself in. DAMN YOU. Now, here I am, wanting you. NEEDING you. Hoping that you'll stay with me. And... and... I-I'm such and IDIOT."

Her anger raged and she wanted to run again but not before throwing a huge rock at him. Before she could get into full earth bender death mode, Sokka's voice cut in, "I was a happy part of your life? You want me and need me? You want me to stay with you?"

He was right in front of her, now, and he cupped the sides of her face with his hands as his voice became sultry and sweet, "You're in love with me, aren't you? Go on, Say it."

Their pulses now matched with intensity. He held her so softly that she could've easily pulled away, but her legs and arms wouldn't listen even if she wanted to. His voice was close and low, "Please say it."

Every argument, plan, regret, and outlook she had circulating her thoughts had flushed out through the heat in her cheeks. It was the truth. She wanted him. Every single second of the day had been with him on her mind. They were friends, but he had become something more. She wanted him to stay with her, but she knew he couldn't. For this one moment... for this single, unapologetic, instant... she had to have him, "I'm in love with you."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**

 _Well... here it is... the infamous **M chapter**. So, that means that some two lucky people get to have THE sex. I know... Scandalous._

 _From here on in, it may take me a little longer to post chapters weekly. I'm afraid that work is really stressing me and I don't have the time I did to type at will. BUT... I won't give up on this beast. I WILL give you the ending without rushing it. *nods firmly*_

 _Anyways... I do not own a single character in this just the really weird story I put them through. ^^;_

* * *

Chapter 4

* * *

The destined travel from where they stood to the bed in their room was a blur of savage thirst and ravenous hunger. Nothing was satisfying them. They couldn't get close enough. Their kisses weren't deep enough. There wasn't enough skin to touch. She was surprised that the entire temple didn't wake up from how hard Toph had slammed Sokka against the door to shut it and used his momentum to push himself into her while scooping the back of her legs and lifting her up. The angle of the kiss changed as she had to bend down to keep contact, but it only made the kisses go hungrily deep. She could feel the cold core of her arm bracelet in between the heated skin of his and hers. She knew, at this moment, that she'd cherish his gift for the rest of her life. Sokka, blindly but confidently, walked towards where she believed the bed was. The deepened kiss's fury slowed down a little as he found the edge of the bed. They both stopped knowing that if either said 'enough' that this little fantasy would end. When nothing was said, she delved back into the wonders of his kiss and they both fell to the bed like raindrops from a cloud.

At this moment, as she laid in the pitch darkness of her blindness, she remembered when she told him about how her inability to see completely intensified sensations. And, damn, was it ever more true than at this very moment. The pressure of his body pushing her into the bed, the coolness of the dress material sliding up her leg by his warm, calloused hand, the electricity of every kiss on her bare skin by his velvety lips, and the solid, molten heat that hit her core with every rock of his hips... they were magnified to dangerously delicious proportions. She was going to climax before she even got her dress off. She felt herself losing her grip on her control. The burning behind her eyes wasn't distracting enough to take away her attention from his scent engulfing her and the wet trails of kisses he was leaving all over her body.

She needed something. Something that she desperately needed that only he could give. She never even noticed herself gasping out moans or rocking her hips to meet his. Her hands gripped the blankets underneath her to anchor herself down. Her belly tightened as he grinded into her, strongly. She tried to gasp out in pleasure, but it mutely scratched in her throat. She screamed a plea over and over in her head for him to never stop, but it was an empty prayer as he raised himself up. He felt as if he were hovering above her like an angel watching over her. She could feel his primal panting fogging over her enflamed face and another urge came. She took that single moment to reach up and her palm slid under his chin and she could feel the facial hair that she never knew ran along his jaw line. She slid her index finger inside his mouth and he didn't even hesitate to suck on the digit. His skilled tongue ran along it from all angles. She wondered if he could see the yearning on her face as she removed her finger and replaced it with her lips.

The next round of kissing was the one where she needed clothes NOT to be there. As their tongues battled for supremacy, she used gaps between their bodies to slide the dress's straps off her shoulders and off each arm. Sokka abandoned his tongue conquest and started kissing down her neck and to the center of her cleavage. He wrapped her arms underneath her and she leaned up to help. He unclasped the bra, still kissing the cavern between as they splayed apart. He slid the garment off her and she could feel the cool, dampened temperature that the room was. It hardened her nipples only slightly, but Sokka made quick work of that. He took in a nipple with his lips, tongue, and teeth in a stimulating suction that had her back arching and her lips cussing. As he used his mouth, his hands were busy sliding the dress all the way off of her. Her hands gripped the back of his head as every stroke of his tongue made her convulse with pleasure. He let her nipple go with a pop then blew on it as he wiggled the dress from under her ass and untangled it from around her legs. She heard the fabric flap in the air as he tossed it and attached his lips to her other nipple.

When he had that one erect, he let it go with a final lick at the peak. She let go of his head as he began to push himself up. She couldn't tell what he was doing, but she knew he was fumbling, wildly. Suddenly, his warm and eager fingers took the band of her panties and started to slide them down. He pushed her legs together and lifted them to peal the fabric off her. Her insides felt like they were boiling while he kissed the outside of her legs as he finally got the panties off her. She bent her knee and slid her leg over to open up fully to him. There was so much heat pouring off of her that she was afraid it would burn them both alive. What she wouldn't give to be able to see him... to read his facial expressions. She wanted to see the sweat dripping down him. She wanted to see every squiggled vein on his penis. SPIRITS... she wanted to taste him. A single hand sprawled wide over her belly button then flowed up to cup her breast. As he did this, she felt him shifting again, this time he was leaning forward. He kept his legs underneath hers as he crawled his arms to place on either side of her ribs. Her legs were wildly lifted and dangled at either side of his body when he leaned his body down, she could feel his dick twitching at the folds of her opening all while finding his balance by gripping her thighs and leaning back on his knees. He positioned himself and teased her folds warranting a well earned moan from her.

He slowly entered her, spreading the flexible muscles and urging them to hug and welcome him. She arched her neck as her mouth hung open. Her moans were silenced and felt like they were stuck in her throat until he was buried completely inside of her. Every single nerve ending sang in unison as her vaginal walls pulsed with her heartbeat. The tightened muscles made the man above her purr out a groan as he kissed at her leg that he stretched upwards at his side and that just warranted her walls to hug tighter. He tried to not move a muscle, but his manhood couldn't help but wiggle in joy. She had forgotten how intoxicatingly insatiable it felt to have a man inside of her. He leaned himself forward to rest on his forearms making her legs encircle around him.

Their exhales smoked and swam in between them as he waited for her walls to adjust completely. He was letting out soft pants and praises just for her and she raised her hands to look at his face. His mouth was hung open and his face was a little sweaty. She cupped the side of his head and seductively bit her bottom lip she felt him smile and he whispered, "Fuck Toph." Her walls slickened around him as they began to kissed passionately and the man starting to do his dance. His random strip of pubic hair seemed to collide with hers, irritating her clit with each slow stroke. It made her have to break away from the kiss to bite down a scream. He shifted his hips and deepened the slow strokes taking her lips again and letting the low hum of their bodies build up. His movements were teasing to the point that it was almost painful. Their moans were muffled by lips and tongues, but when he started to speed up; the flesh of his legs started to slap against hers and the head of his penis was creating a titillating friction inside her. I made her have to break away from the kiss to blare out her pleasure, again.

Every moan she gave out only made him drive deeper and harder which only made her howl out louder. His lips found the curve of her neck and he they ghosted over her skin. His grunts fogged and dampened her skin as he drilled her with primal need. His gutteral moans and insuppressible thrusts were building a ravenous urge within her. She wanted to scream from him to stop, but her voice just hummed his name. Her legs, of their own accord, found themselves up in the air with her feet propped against the swell of his bare ass. His propulsion slowed to deep, delicious, long strokes that made the both of them groan out. He pushed every inch of him inside of her and took her lips in a kiss. Their bodies stuck together from the moisture of their workout. She couldn't stop her hips from rocking very softly against him as their kiss got too involved. He tilted his head up away from hers and started to rabbit hump her in a rapid bounce. He hit something deep inside of her over and over and over and over and it had her uncontrollably convulsing. Her every muscle tightened dangerously but didn't stop her from clasping her arms around his head tightly while cussing and praising his name right over the edge he was pushing her to. She felt him trembling and cussing and whimpering her name and with one more strong pump... she arched herself off the cushions as her walls clenched to his dick and a ambiant static took her euphoria. She let that man's name babble from her lips and that seemed to push him over the edge as she felt the searing liquid fill her up.

He collapsed on top of her and his cheek rested between her very damp breasts. As they both slowly came down from their highs, she let out a moaning laugh and a sigh of satisfaction. They were both sleek from their sweat as they both tried to catch their breaths. She felt him give out a breathless chuckle before he barely got out between breaths, "You're welcome." He gave a sad grunt as he moved and pulled himself out, ever so gently. It still caused a gasp from both and she rolled on her side. He moved in right behind her and spooned with her. She, lackadaisically, brushed her hair away from her face and he pushed himself close enough to kiss at her cheek before she turned and offered her lips. As they had a sweet kiss, he found a blanket loose enough to flick over the both of them. He broke the kiss and just pressed his naked body against the back of hers, "Can we both agree that we should do this again, sometime?"

She couldn't help but smile through the grogginess from the sex as she whispered for just the two of them, "Agreed, except next time, I think we should do it on the ground. AND, maybe throw in a little doggy style or reverse cowgirl." He laughed and she felt it on the nape of her neck, "Deal."

When the laugh died down, his lips tenderly kissed up and over the arm band he gave her then rested his lips on her neck. She could feel his pulse. She could feel his energy soaring and she knew he wanted to say something, but before the two of them knew it... a comfortable energy filled them up as sleep pressed down upon them and they dozed off in each other's arms, both exhausted from their lover's workout. And too tired to figure out what came next.

* * *

The explosion of their door slamming into the wall made the two interlaced lovers jump to their buttocks in shock. Toph grabbed a blanket to cover her exposed chest as Sokka's arm, instinctively dove down in front of her to protect her. If her heart wasn't about to crack her rib cage from the sudden horror, she would have admired it. She felt Sokka's arm suddenly tense and it made her uneasy. Hakoda's voice was low and cold as he spoke and she felt hers and Sokka's heart stop, "Sokka. I wish to speak to you. Please get dressed and meet me at the barn."

The energy of the room got heavy and buzzed before Sokka spoke with dejection in his voice, "Yes, father."

The door was yanked shut and trapped all the negativity inside the room. Sokka didn't remove his arm from in front of her so she placed her hand on his bicep, "I-I'm not sorry for what we did. I will never regret it, Sokka."

He said nothing, but she felt him turn his head to look at her. He took in a deep breath before removing his arm from in front of her to stretched out behind her. He took his free hand and placed it on her cheek to turn her head and kiss her deeply, passionately, yet sadly. After a few excruciatingly sensual moments, he broke away only to bump their foreheads and press their heads together, "I don't regret it, either. I... I love you, Chief." She knew he was saying goodbye and it burned the back of her eyes. His hand still cupped her cheek and she reached up and grabbed his hand and wrist, hoping that the pleading for him to stay was seeping into his skin from her touch. She took in a deep inhale through her nose and took in the courage from his scent, "I love you, Meathead."

They both smiled ever so small and his voice played its melody on her ears, "Just remember who said it first." A quick peck on her lips and pulled away. As the rustle of him getting ready filled the area, there was an ever growing tightness in her chest. It built up like sand falling to the bottom of an hour glass. It was suffocating her the more she thought about never seeing him again. Her feet touched the floor and his silhouette vibrated in her sight. His heart was slow and thumped morosely as he fixed his wolf's tail. She wanted to say something... wanted to stomp her feet and express her genuine love for him... wanted to shout that she'd be a great wolf's wife... but her memories drowned her voice. Her studio, her students, her life she made for herself all rushed inside her mind like stab wounds. A flooded rain filled her lungs and doused her fire, as he swept himself towards the door. She felt the ice cold shards stabbing her over and over again screaming at her to do something. She was standing in the room, naked and numb, and shattered into a million pieces as the door shut. She broke down, fell to her knees, and cried echoes into the hollow room.

* * *

Aang had sent one of the air acolytes to tell her that he was getting Appa ready for her departure. She got dressed in her old, grungy clothes and put her hair back into her regular bun. She felt drained emotionly. Her body was so heavy as she disassembled her tent and started stuffing her bag with her loose clothes that were scattered over the floor. When her hand found the bra she wore just last night, the sharpened ghost of Sokka's touch set her cheeks on fire. She shook her head and started to pick up more clothing with anger and frustration until her fingers brushed against the softened material of the dress she had worn. A surge of emotion plunged and singed every nerve in her body causing her to drop her bag and fall on her butt to the earth. Tears were threatening her eyes again and she hugged the dress to her while shoving her face into it. The memories were too much and her emotions were unraveling as the dress's scent was her own mixed with his. She knew she should have never invited that man into her life. She cried harder as her mind screamed how much of a liar she was.

"Toph! Ar-are you alright?" Katara's voice fluttered around her as the woman's arm hugged around her shoulder. She didn't even feel the girl coming, but she welcomed her comfort. She shook her head and refused to remove her face from the dress. The new bride held her and rested her head on top of hers. It comforted her to the point that her sobs finally dwindled away. What did she deserve to have these two wonderful people in her life? She slowly moved the dress away and rubbed the fabric in her fingers with a sniffle, "I never thanked you for letting me borrow this. It was really comfy." She held it towards the woman who pushed her hands back to her chest very softly, "It's yours, Toph. It looked really good on you."

Toph smiled and rolled the dress up and put it in her bag before sighing and turning her head towards the water bender, "Congrats on becoming a blushing bride. I heard that it was a beautiful wedding. Sorry I wasn't able to see it."

Katara's voice was confused, "Wait, but you were ther... oh... right."

Toph, humourously, waved a hand in front of her face and the two women smiled as Katara nudged arm her making Toph smile even wider. As the two women got up and sat on the bed, she had tilted her head back a little to stretch out her back and Katara's voice went high pitched, "TOPH! Is that a hickey?"

Her eyes went wide and she defensively threw her hand up to hide the already seen blemish. She didn't know Katara very well, but from what she did know about her was that she was NO idiot. She was sharp and very hard to sneak anything past like a overly protective mother. Toph felt really bad for the children she was going to have. It was no surprise when the new bride grabbed her hands, pulled her close, and whispered, "Did you have sex with my brother?"

Before she could even TRY to lie or even defend herself, Katara squealed and hugged her roughly, "Oh TOPH... I knew you two were gonna get together. All he ever does is talk about you. Toph THIS and TOPH that... I'm... I'm so happy that you accepted him."

She smiled sadly in the hug, but soon, had to gather herself, "Whoa Whoa WHOA, Sugar Queen! It was just a spur of the moment thing. I... I told him something about my past and he just... he just couldn't stop comforting me. L-Last night was... was just our way of saying Goodbye."

Katara's voice was sisterly and concerned, "Goodbye? Toph? What are you talking about?"

Toph told her about Yataark and the events after that but left out her 'inability of having children' part, and told her about Hakoda walking in on them in bed together and that he took Sokka to the barn. The water bender's nonchalant noises and ever growing absence from her person's only justified her thoughts that something was up. When Katara spoke again, her voice was emotional but stern, "My brother is a huge moron, but he is an even bigger, ridiculous ball of stupidity when it comes to women. My father knew about Sokka and Yue and even knew about his youthful excursions with the other women. He told Sokka to get it out of his system while he was still young. Funniest thing... Sokka actually listened. He didn't date, didn't try to pick up any women, or sex around non-stop for almost six years because he was so focused on getting stronger... and boy, DID HE. It pains me to say that, without the full moon, Sokka can kick my butt. He even had Aang and Zuko panting and struggling. That damn chi-blocking move he learned made our bending obsolite." Toph didn't mention that she struggled with him, too, because it was damn near obvious that he was a born warrior.

The water bender groaned and softened her voice, "And then he met you. The way he wrote about you, I SWORE you two had known each other forever, and I was SO happy that he finally got himself a BUD to hang out with. I never even considered that you were a woman. He never wrote your gender, but he talked about the two sisters and how they helped him understand the basics of metal bending and everything about Republic City. But, according to him, you showed him that sight isn't everything, that patience is the strongest weapon he has, and that a true leader is a teacher who wants everyone to learn, not just the right way, but the wrong way, too. He goes on and on and on. Now, I got to see the way he looks at you. I know you can't see it, but it's... it's SOOO obvious. He is infatuated with you. It may not have started as love. Knowing Sokka, he was just drowning you in compliments, right?"

Toph couldn't deny it. She just shook her head and grinned. Who better to know more about that man than his sister. Katara's voice cut in again, but there was something in it that stabbed her, "I was actually scared to find out that you were a woman. Women have always been his downfall, especially after Yue. I don't want to ever see my brother like that again." Toph remembered the story Sokka told about him trying to kill himself and chills burned down her spine, "But then I got to get to know you. You don't baby him. You don't lead him on. You are straight to the point and kick him in the ass when he needs it. You laugh with him and joke with him and he follows you around like a love sick puppy, but I can tell you've had something happen to you that hardened your heart. I also know that he's ever so slowly softening it. You two have become each other's rock. Yin and yang... La and Tui."

Toph sighed at her incompentence as she gripped the band around her arm with her hand and spat out nonsense that was sure to leave a look of confusion of the waterbender's face, "A wolf and a rock can't mate for life. Eventually, the wolf'll want warmth or love and the rock will just sit there like the cold lump it is. They'll never be happy."

The sudden slap on her cheek made her squeak, "YOU'RE NOT A ROCK and HE'S NOT A WOLF. Stop being such an IDIOT! You love him, don't you? I know you do so you don't even have to answer. The fact that you were on the floor and crying into that dress is proof enough. For such a strong personality, you are such a weak little girl. You live in the past... BOTH OF YOU DO! I can see the blush on your face and I KNOW it's because you just thought of my brother. I mean, it sickens me a little, but... to think that you were so content that the memory makes you smile... makes you happy. Well, that makes me happy. What is so wrong with wanting yourself to be happy? What are you so afraid of?"

Toph didn't face her, she kept her sightless eyes straight and spoke with her childish/fearful/fake/cynical voice, "I have classes to teach, you have a child to raise, and Sokka has a tribe to lead. We all have priorities... we all have lives to live."

A soft knock on the door barely rang inside the room and an air acolyte stepped in, "Your ride is ready, Miss Bei Fong."

Katara sniffed a laugh, "So... it's change you're afraid of? Well, I can't help you there. I-I really am going to miss you, Toph. Are you sure you don't want to say goodbye to my brother?"

Toph hopped off the bed and shouldered her bag and paused and spoke through the croak in her throat, "I already did... right on that bed you're sitting on." Without another moment, she shoved the dress in her bag and moved to follow the monk. The further away from the room she got... the more tears fell. When she finally got outside and could feel Aang and Appa before her, she jutted earth underneath her and launched herself into the saddle of the air bison. She gripped the side tightly and buried her face into the back of her hands and waited for the flight home.

* * *

The air was unpleasantly cold, but she was glad of it. The rushing haze of the wind made it easy for her mind to wander and it just had to slip back into that bed. His touch... His voice... His scent... It was haunting her and causing heat to singe her very soul. She didn't even say goodbye to him. She let her pride and fear win. She hoped in a very darkened way that he would chase her, but in truth, she was just wishing he wouldn't. She didn't want to get hurt, but... she didn't want to hurt HIM. She shut her eyes and gripped the side of the saddle. She writhed in the emotional pain of her stupidity.

The speed of the bison slowed and the rushed air went to a gentle breeze. Suddenly, Aang's voice cut in and Toph pushed off the saddle a bit, "Sorry, Appa needed a little breather and I cannot ignore the fact that you looked like you needed someone to talk to."

"Look, Twinkle Toes, I just want to go home. I did the most DUMBEST thing I've ever done and... and I just want to bury myself in work." She shut her eyes and fought back the tears. She HATED herself. Being weak and dumb were two things she never wanted to become. And she was not thrilled that the husband of the Sugar Queen was trying to comfort her.

"You earth benders and your thick skin. I can see you're hurting. I can see you're in obvious distress. You're battling something within you that you're not used to facing so you ran away, like you always seem to do, right?" Toph's eyes were wide as they stared uselessly at the direction the air bender's voice came from. Aang's voice was gentle but the truth of his words were piercing, "Men aren't as complex as women are. We focus on one thing at a time. As one of the last remaining air benders, I focused on trying to find other air benders. I found that there were only a handful of air benders left, but that they were happily married to nonbenders. They had air bender babies and slowly, my people were growing in size. That shifted my focus to having some fun and when I went penguin sledding in the South Pole... that wishy-washy focus was suddenly snapped to a very beautiful woman and her over-protective brother."

She could hear his smile as he took a pause then said, "Katara has been the center of my attention since I met her. We've traveled all over the world to learn about the other nations and to help with the Triad's attacks. When we got to the North Pole, that's when things really took a turn. For Katara, it was for the better because she went from a healer to a warrior, but for Sokka, that turn was for the worst. He's told you that story, I imagine, but he tried to take his life after losing a deep love. I have never seen a man more broken than him. After Katara saved him, something within him seemed to break free. The next day, his focus went to training. He had a moment where it broke, though, when we went to the earth kingdom. That's where he met Suki. It didn't go well. I think that it hardened his heart. He smiled and joked, but I could tell that he was hurting."

Toph felt the air bender shift. When he spoke, his voice was a little louder and she could tell that what he was about to say next wasn't dripping with sadness, "Sokka is an amazing fighter. At first, like many beginners, he was slow and sloppy. I felt bad watching him train with Katara because all he ever got was wet, but he soon got a flow to his movements. I started to train with him and it wasn't too long before he had the foot work of a master air bender. We started to travel then and Sokka found a very strange but nice girl. She was in the circus and she studied the human body very well. She wanted to be a doctor and leave her old life behind. Her study led to the knowledge of the flow of chi within the flesh. When the Triads attacked the village that the circus was in, she learned that if you block the flow of chi within a bender; you can negate that ability. Well, you can imagine what Sokka learned from her. He's used it on you, hasn't he?" Toph felt herself loosen up as he was speaking. She gave a curt nod and he continued, "He was getting stronger and stronger. That new knowledge he had made training with him unbearable. The water bender's flow, the air bender's footwork, and the chi blocking made him almost invincible, but he felt like he was still too weak to be Chief."

He took in a breath and Toph found herself understanding why Katara loved this guy so much, he was very kind. Aang's soothing voice cut in, "We were deep in the fire nation where one night, we were all getting ready for bed when a star fell from the sky. It plowed into a grassy field not too far from where we were camping. We all chased it down and Sokka took a piece of the sparkling black boulder. The next day, we heard about a sword master and Sokka jumped at the chance for that. Sokka's master taught him a lot and even made a sword from the space rock. By the end of the year, Sokka had become one of the most powerful nonbenders I had ever met. I dont even think he is aware at just how strong he is." Toph had to grin on that. She couldn't agree with him more. Sokka didn't know just how terrifying he was. He could take someone's bending from them and put them on equal ground only to find that Sokka was on a higher level. And just like that, Sokka was back in her mind. His scars, his muscles, his calloused hands... they swirled around her mind before Aang continued, "We went into the capital and were drinking tea at a very humble tea shop where we met Iroh. Iroh was a man of knowledge. He had been all over the world, too. We all told stories and his were always the best. Push came to shove and Sokka was training with Iroh and his nephew, Firelord Zuko. So, now, Sokka added the explosive movements of the fire bender to his ever growing strength. Zuko wasn't too thrilled with being chi blocked, but was very impressed with his sword technique. They practiced that for a few months and sword play became as easy as breathing to him."

Aang shift again and he sighed a bit, "Katara and I had gotten super close, by then. I won't bore you with our love story, but it was then that Katara wanted to take me to the South Pole to meet her father. Well, I agreed, nervously if I can be truthful with you, and got swept away in her warmth. That was when Sokka went into a bustling city and met a nice earth bender who knew how to metal bend. The next thing I knew, Sokka sat Katara and I down and explained that he was going to the earth kingdom and not back to the South Pole. He promised he'd write us letters to ease Katara, but she was still very anxious about it. Sokka is a man of his word, though, and he wrote her weekly. I think Katara's mind eased a lot when he started to write about you. Now, granted, we had no idea you were a woman, but his letters were happily sloppy and Katara's worry melted with each one."

Another pause gave Toph the chance to hear the shrill of birds around them as she remembered the sound of Sokka's laugh. Remembered his heartbeat and his silhoutte. The more memories she remembered, the hotter her cheeks and heavier her heart felt. She... she really did love him. Aang's voice cut in again, only this time it was a serious tone, "I learned that the Southern Water Tribe traditions are revolved around the wolf heirarchy. Not EXACTLY like it, but shadow it. When they become a part of a pack, whether it be with their own people or a brand new pack, they grow attached almost violently. We are the lucky few who have become one of the pack. Katara and Sokka consider you one of us. They both love you and would drop what they are doing to be by your side, so, of course, so will I. Unfortunetely, all I can do is talk to you and tell you what you probably, already know. I don't know too much about your past, but I can sense that you're not used to such devotion. So, I'll say this to you, Miss Bei Fong... Love never stops trying to find you; no matter how far you run." She heard him stand up as she shot her eyes down to close them. She couldn't say anything back to the air bender because... he was right. She heard him take in a deep breath through his nose before he said, "We'll be in Rupublic City soon. So, loosen up a little bit and try to enjoy the ride." She scoffed at that and with a yell of a 'Yip Yip' the rush of momentum and cold wind drowned her senses and let the words of Aang and the memories of Katara and Sokka burn within her. As she air picked up again, she wondered if Katara had told Aang about her pregnancy. That slapped her harder than the cold air and she gripped the saddle again.

* * *

She felt the pull of the beast slowing down with a rush of its tail and its legs touched down with a rough rocking. She heard people's hushed voices on the streets as she stood. She shouldered her bag just before Aang put his arms on her shoulders then lifted them both in a deafening rush of air and gently landed on the street below. When her feet touched the concrete, the buildings and people came to her 'sight' like a tidal wave. People were still bustling past the smelly bison and tried to pretend it didn't exist while children begged their parents to go pet it.

Aang's hand touched her shoulder as he spoke gently, "It was nice meeting you, Miss Bei Fong. Until we meet again." He brought her into a hug and his flowery but tangy scent enveloped her. She gave a mock sigh and hugged him back. It was a long hug and, though she wouldn't admit it, she needed it. When he broke apart from her, he stood there for a moment. She had an urge and once something was in her head, she had to get it out, "Aang... Did you know that Katara was pregnant?" His heart was unreadable as it flew into flutters that couldn't be read or counted. He was frozen and she immediately felt bad. She reached out and grabbed his hands, "TWINKLE TOES! Take it easy! You are going to be an amazing father. You and Katara are so full of love that you'll shower that kid like a monsoon." There was no reaction and she felt a bit worse, "I-I thought she would have told you, by now. I-I'm sorry."

Aang's hands squeezed hers, suddenly, and she could feel his pure joy electrifying through his skin. He started to laugh with a goofy sound as he let go of her hands to go missing off the ground. She could feel the breeze of his air bending and knew he was flying around while celebrating. It made her smile and give a chuckle as he sounded like an ambulance siren. She heard the door of the studio open and she turned around just in time to catch Su in a hug, "Welcome back, Sifu." She felt Lin's footsteps then heard her voice in an amused confusion, "Is... Is he ok?"

At that, Aang landed on the ground in his normally light step and she could hear his face-ripping smile, "Yes. YES... I am PERFECT. I just learned that I'm going to be a father."

Toph smiled as the two sisters gasped in happiness and went to the air bender to hug and congratulate him. She felt pings against the earth like rain drops that seemed to orient at Aang's feet. He must have been crying out of joy. As she stood back and felt the silhouette of the man and the two girls, she was pulled into her mind. She wondered, if she could ever have children... would Kanto have cried for joy? Would her family encircle her with hugs and congratulations? She felt a pressure in her chest that got tighter and tighter until it squeezed tears into her eyes.

The clicking purr of the flying lemur swooped around her and she felt the creature land on her shoulder and saved her from the impending break-down. She rubbed Momo's ear as Lin's voice rang out with its regular sternness, "Where's Sokka?"

Toph continued to rub the lemur's ear as she let the blush to cover her face. Aang cleared his throat and was about to talk when she cut him off completely, "He ain't coming." She could feel the thump in the sister's hearts as Aang's slowed its flutter, "He's got... he's got enough training to become Chief, so he moved on." She could feel Aang's questionable energy and she cut him off before he could contradict her, "Aang, thank you for the ride and congradulations on the new baby. You shouldn't tell anyone else, though. I really shouldn't have told you. Take care, Twinkle Toes."

The static that was looming inside the air bender was almost 'blinding'. She could barely feel him, at all. He let out a huge sigh and that energy dissipated. He gave the two girls one last hug then broke apart stand to face her. She gave him an apologetic look and he stood at an attention to give her a bow. When he got back up, she gave him a curt bow of her head. He pounced straight up and out of her sight, but he spoke, "Remember what I said, Toph... Love never stops." With a quick little snap and a 'Yip Yip', the huge bison burst off the ground. Momo clicked and whimpered on her shoulder.

The two girl's energy were now in a fog as their hearts seemed energized but thumped in confusion. She knew they both tried to put up a strong front, but they were soft and caring underneath. She felt the lemur's ears droop as if it understood what had just happened. It baffled her that this little thing was so intuned with human affection and thought, but... she could see with her feet, so it was TOO farfetched. Toph let in a huge inhale through her nose and tried to break the melancholy, "So, how were your classes?"

The two girls knew Toph so well. They knew not to pry into her life, but she could feel their need to understand... the need to know, period. But, they never pushed... With a sigh, Su started, excitedly, about telling her that one of the earth benders in the beginner's class was a lava bender. Though he nearly burned the whole studio down, Su got a chance to mentor a very rare type of bender. Lin slipped in that the little lava bender's brother was hot and Su was crushing on him. Toph gave a smirk even though her heart hurt as Sokka plagued her mind.

Lin broke her out of her fog with a story about one of the adults in the metal bending classes. He refused to listen to her so she challenged him in a sparring match. Lin didn't go into full detail, but the two girls started giggling when she mentioned putting the old man in a metal tutu and twirling him around like a helpless doll. Toph laughed with the two girls until they were inside the studio. Her sight was blinded by the wooden floor, but she heard the girls walk in and close the doors. She didn't know what time it was, but she knew that classes would be over for the day. She turned around to face the sisters, "You two did amazing. I'm, actually, very proud of you both. I couldn't have picked anyone better."

There was a static of silence before Lin's voice cut through, "Thank you, Sifu, but... Su and I want to know what happened to Sokka. I know you hate it when we get nosy, but... Sokka was a good guy. He... He's our friend, too, Sifu."

Toph's old self would've barked and made these two cry, but she could feel their hearts and their energies and they were nothing but pure. With a sigh, she licked her lips, "Girls... Sokka isn't coming. His father called upon him, so I left. We trained him well enough to be the world's leader, so we should be happy for him. He'll be the leader of his tribe and we'll keep training to make a better earth and metal bender. We keep moving on because that's what people do..."

The girl's heads bowed slightly and she stepped forward and put her hands on their shoulders, "You two did a wonderful job, I mean it. I may go on vacations all the time."

She smiled and the two girls perked up as Momo leaped off her shoulder and towards Lin, "You guys can go on home and I'll close up. I officially give Momo to you two. He seems to really like you both." She pulled herself back and gave them both the best smile she could muster without it looking too fake. The two had a confused heartbeat but nodded and bowed. As they walked towards their home, she moved inside the studio. As soon as she closed the door, she flung her bag, banged her back against the door, and slid down it. She sobbed as the memories of the wedding poured over her. It was succeeding in drowning her as she gasped for air. She had become to familiar with him. They were conjoined for so long that... being apart was so much more painful than she could've imagined. But, her cynical mind spoke, it would soon pass and everything would be back to normal. Right?

* * *

It was a week since she returned from the wedding and everything felt... normal. The classes were sloshed together in her mind so nothing really stood out. Su's one-on-one training with the lava bender, Bolin, was last of the day. She was amused that the training consisted of him constantly making jokes and Su punching him for not being focused. The boy wasn't the most powerful earth bender, but his lava bending was charged and rampant. She enjoyed listening to Su use her knowledge that Sokka gave her about water benders to make it easier for Bolin to fluidly use the lava without using explosive moves like in earth bending. There was a shadow of sadness in her chest, but she swallowed it as she added that he needed to close his stance and loosen his muscles. Before long, it got extremely hot in there and they called it a day. Bolin cooled the lava back to earth the he and Su reverted the floor back to flat and cool. She could feel the heartbeat of the boy and it was full of happiness and gentleness. The boy didn't love Su, but respected the crap of her enough to be considered love. The boy gave Su a bow and she returned it. Toph smiled for her younger pupil. She was growing up to be better than she ever was.

After Bolin left, she and the two girls were upstairs in the lobby, talking about tomorrow's schedule when a horrible bang came from the front door. It startled them all and Toph pushed the girls behind her, "We're CLOSED!"

She heard what sounded like something sliding down the door then a small bang at the bottom. She hated not being able to 'see' so she gave a gesture for the girls to stay where they were and she moved to the door. She grabbed her walking stick and flung it across her body and it sharpened into a spear-like sword. She opened the door quickly and readied for an attack. Something feel against her feet and the two girls gasped and rushed towards her. They flipped the dead weight off her feet and Lin cursed, "Shit... Sifu... It's SOKKA. He's hurt real bad."

She flung the stick from her hand and dropped to the floor to catch up with her heart. Her hands found his face and she felt the heat of the bruises and sticky warmth of blood. He had deep gashes that were old but still slowly dripped blood. The screeches of Momo and the cries of the girls made her dark, little world cave in, "Su... Lin... get him in here!" She got up and moved her way to the door. She launched herself from the porch and her feet slammed into the concrete, shattering it like glass. The entire town hummed in her mind and she looked for anyone running away from her studio. If someone did this to him in the immediate area, she was going to peel them like a fucking banana, but everyone was in a state of calm, except for the few who were around her as she did her mega stomp. Her mind was flaring. It was burning with anger and rage, but it melted into sorrow. She fell to a knee and she fought back tears as she whispered, "Please... Spirits... Please don't let him die."

She heard Lin's deepened but desperate voice echoing from the door, "SIFU! He's awake!"

* * *

Sokka sat up with a muffled moan and his voice was strained and seemed to come from clenched teeth, "I'm sorry, ladies... I had no other place to go." As they got into a closed room, Toph began to notice that he smelled like blood, ocean, and vomit. She felt a pain in her chest and wished she could feel his heartbeat. Su's voice was trembling when she spoke, "What happened to you?"

He whimpered a little and sadly answered, "I lost."

Her own heart thumped in her chest and she took a step back. Her mind was going a mile a minute and she had to speak or it would burst. Lin's 'Lost What' was cut off by her, "You need to take a shower and get out of those clothes and we need to assess your wounds. I believe you remember where it is. Lin, help him up there." Without a word, she heard shuffling with a loud exclaimation of pain as Sokka got up. She heard their feet on the squeaky stairs as they acsended, slowly. The static was building in the lobby and the silence in that room must have been armed with knives because it stabbed her repeatedly.

Su's voice was so in such a low bass that she almost didn't hear her, "Sifu... those wounds weren't made by the same person. There were different types of abrasions with different depths to them and they look as if each were given to him at the same time. I think he may have been ambushed by a lot of people. If they did this to become chief... Is... Isn't that cheating?"

She heard the shower start as despair overwhelmed her. She shook her head 'no' because she didn't trust her voice. The sound of Lin's fast pace down the stairs gave her enough time to swallow the fear out of her throat as the girl's voice trailed behind her as she spoke, "His body is covered in bruises and slash marks. Sifu... I didn't see any defensive wounds so I think they beat him while he was unconscious. He has a nice knot on the back of his head. I also think his left wrist is either broken or strained. He's hurt pretty bad."

Toph put on a brave face, but inside... she was balled up in a dark corner. Though he wasn't in any immediate danger, she saw that she could've lost him. How completely fucking stupid could she be? OF COURSE SHE WOULD'VE LOST HIM. SHE KEPT RUNNING. Well... she was done running now, "Su. Lin. Would you be so kind as to ask your parents if you could sleep over tonight? I'm going to need some help with Sokka." The two girls jumped up and answered 'yes' in their different tones and they scrambled out the door. She needed SIGHT to help him and his wounds. She made her way to the stairs and climbed them quickly. She got to the upper room where the small static of the shower started to build up louder the closer she got. She got to the bathroom and pushed the door wide open making the shower sound hiss loudly. She moved to the bathtub and tapped her hand on the edge, just outside the shower curtain, and his silhouette swirled in her mind. The steam of the hot water moved the small hairs on her arm.

His forehead rested on the tiled wall just beneath the shower head as his right arm was curled above his head. His heart was strong, but his muscles seemed strained and unsteady. He was trembling from pain or just overwhelmed by what happened to him. She felt the fragmented connections within his left arm and knew that the small bone in his forearm was fractured. She could fix that but it would hurt tremendously. Everything else was intact. His skull was fine but there was pain. Suddenly, the man growled and started to pound the shower wall with a hammer fist. He was crying out over and over with his strikes becoming stronger and more ferocious. She moved quick, yanking the shower curtain and grabbing his arm in one fluid motion before calling out his name that seemed to echo forever.

His arm shivered in her hand and she clasped it with both. The fist relaxed as his voice whispered, heartwrenchingly, "I'm sorry."

She shook her head and matched his whisper, "No... I'M sorry. I shouldn't have left. I should've stayed and told you how I felt, but... I'm a coward, so I ran, again. I... I'm so sorry."

The warm water began to trickle down his arm and cascaded against her fingers as he spoke again, "I challenged my father to be Chief and won, but... Yataark, his son, and a lot of his young warriors came. Yataark's son challenged me and I beat him, but they didn't go there to be beaten. They took my father and were choking him and told me I had to stand down or they'd kill him, so I put my sword and boomerang down... and everything went black. When I woke up, I was being flung into the ocean by two strong men. Next thing I knew, I was on the shores of Republic City and I made my way to you. Call it fate or just damn lucky, but... here I am. Broken... Weak... Useless..." He slipped down into the tub with his hand still in hers as he began to sob powerfully.

She reached in and turned off the shower as she reached out slipped her hand around his shaven head to pull him to her chest. It was melting everything inside her to hear him cry. To hear him on the edge of anguished humility. He WAS broken, but weak and useless, he was NOT. What could she do? What could she possibly do to make this right? She reached for the towel she knew was there and handed it to him as she kissed his forehead and pulled away. She went back to the bedroom and pulled out some baggy clothes she had that would fit him and came back to the bathroom, "Put these on and gather your clothes. Lin and Su will be staying tonight so we can close some of those wounds and I can set your broken bone. You are NOT useless... You are NOT weak... You were just outnumbered, but that shit won't happen again. We're gonna get you nice and healthy, then... we're gonna take back your throne. No one bullies my students and gets away with it."

She turned and left with anger and thrill steaming in her chest. While the girls were here, she was going to get them to write a letter for her... A letter to a very pregnant and over-protective water bender and her light-footed husband that would get the moon and ocean to move. Yataark was going to pay for this... even if she had to cut the bastard in half, herself.


End file.
